Met Gala: Pete Davidson Honors Late Father Who Died on 9/11

When Pete Davidson hit the 2021 Met Gala red carpet Monday night, he paid tribute to his late father Scott Davidson in a special way. Taking place Monday night at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, the 2021 Met Gala fell just days after the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, with Davidson’s father, a firefighter and first-responder, among the nearly 3,000 victims who died that day.

Matching his outfit to this year’s Met Gala theme, “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion,” Davidson honored his father and the other victims with the trinkets of jewelry he wore to accessorize his Thom Browne-designed black suit dress and white blazer. As he hit the red carpet, Davidson could be seen wearing a necklace, several bracelets, and a pin on his blazer pocket. E! News‘ correspondent Zanna Roberts Rassi reported that Browne “specifically designed the Fred Leighton jewelry with Scott and the other 9/11 victims in mind.”

When asked by GQ about attending the event, Davidson said ahead of the Monday night Met Gala that he was initially shocked to be invited. The 2021 event marked his Met Gala debut, with Davidson telling the outlet, “when I was first told I would maybe have the opportunity to attend, I thought it was a joke.” Once he realized his invitation wasn’t a joke, the SNL star opted to go big or go home, explaining that his outfit would be “sick.”

“If you’re gonna wear a dress, what better way or place to do it than the Met, you know?” he said. “I’m really excited and really stoked that they thought I could pull this off, which is hilarious.”

This year’s theme for the annual fashion event paid homage to American fashion. After 2018’s theme of “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination,” and 2019’s theme of “Camp: Notes on Fashion,” the 2021 theme was “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion,” which was chosen to honor the Costume Institute and celebrating modern American fashion. Andrew Bolton, the curator of the institute, told Vogue in April that he believes “American fashion is undergoing a renaissance” and “young designers in particular are at the vanguard of discussions about diversity and inclusion, as well as sustainability and transparency.” Davidson’s outfit was just one of many that encapsulated the theme, with other headline-grabbers being Billie Eilish, who stunned in her cream Oscar De La Renta ball gown that drew comparisons to Marilyn Monroe, as well as Jennifer Lopez, who opted for a Western-inspired look.