How ‘SNL’ Referenced Pete Davidson’s Engagement to Ariana Grande in Season Premiere

Saturday Night Live had a subtle reference to Pete Davidson‘s engagement to singer Ariana Grande over the summer during Adam Driver’s monologue. The engagement of a stoner, tattooed comedian to a beautiful celebrity was also the center of a Kyle Mooney sketch with Wendy Williams.

“How was your summer?” Driver asked.

“Oh, you don’t want to hear about my summer,” Davidson replied.

“No, actually, you’re the one person who’s summer I really want to hear about,” Driver replied.

The camera then did a close-up of Davidson, who just winked at the camera and left the stage.

This was a reference to Davidson’s whirlwind romance with Grande, who was originally scheduled to perform. However, she backed out just days before the season premiere guests were announced.

Later on, Mooney’s sketch featured the comedian trying to be taken seriously on the SNL set. So, he shaved his hair, got tattoos on his arms and started using marijuana to look just like Davidson. He then told the SNL writers they needed to include his new girlfriend, Williams! Then, Mooney and Davidson got into a fight in front of the elevators. Kenan Thompson stopped them, and told them they could settle this in a crazy gladiator fight.

Just before the fight was supposed to start, Davidson said he did not want to fight, but then put a sword through Mooney. As Mooney fell back, he slipped on a banana peel, which got everyone laughing. At the end, Davidson and Mooney said they were friends and put their differences aside. Davidson then punched Mooney in the chest, which started blood to come pouring from his chest. Mooney’s doctor told him he will die soon.

Davidson later joked about his engagement to Grande during his “Weekend Update” bit. In one line, he jokingly said he switched her birth control with Tic-Tacs.

Grande was supposed to perform during the premiere, but SNL creator Lorne Michaels said she dropped out just two days before they were about to announce her. The episode is airing less than a month after the death of her ex-boyfriend, Mac Miller.

“We had Ariana drop out for emotional reasons two days ago,” Michaels said during the Origins With James Andrew Miller podcast. “That’s our premiere, and then Kanye [West] stepped up, and he’ll be there. So, the reach of the show and the number of people who will step forward is now somehow now, I think, probably at its peak.”

Davidson and Grande dated for just a few weeks before he confirmed the engagement on The Tonight Show in June.

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