Pete Davidson Defends Performing at Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh Comedy Festival Despite 9/11 Family Tragedy
Pete Davidson is standing by his decision to perform at the Riyadh Comedy Festival in Saudi Arabia — more than two decades after his father, New York City firefighter Scott Davidson, was killed in the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
Scott, a member of Ladder Company 118 in Brooklyn Heights, was 33 years old when he died responding to the World Trade Center. Pete was just seven at the time.
Now 31, the Saturday Night Live alum is among 50 comedians featured at the festival, which runs from Sept. 26 through Oct. 9. The star-studded lineup includes comedy heavyweights such as Dave Chappelle, Louis C.K., Jimmy Carr, Kevin Hart, Sebastian Maniscalco, Aziz Ansari, Andrew Schulz, Whitney Cummings, and Hannibal Buress.
During a Sept. 23 appearance on Theo Von’s This Past Weekend podcast, Von brought up the controversy surrounding Western performers working in Saudi Arabia.
“There’s a lot of people that say people are getting paid by this Middle Eastern money, right — that they can say this, or they can’t say that, or that when they’re over there, they’re being influenced to speak certain ways,” Von said. “Are you part of that conspiracy theory, or is that nothing you’re on?”
“I’ve heard there’s subreddits like, ‘I think all these people are in bed with that,’” Pete said. “I just, you know, I get the routing, and then I see the number, and I go, ‘I’ll go.’ I’ve been getting a little bit of flak just because my dad died in 9/11. So they’re like, ‘How could you possibly go there?’”
Fifteen of the 19 hijackers involved in the September 11 attacks were Saudi nationals, and lawsuits have alleged potential links between the Saudi government and the perpetrators. Saudi officials have consistently denied any involvement.
In a Sept. 23 press release, Human Rights Watch criticized the festival, accusing Saudi Arabia of using it to “deflect attention from its brutal repression of free speech and other pervasive human rights violations.”
Several comedians have also spoken out against the event, arguing that the Saudi government is using the high-profile gathering to improve its global image despite ongoing accusations of human rights abuses.
Comedian and actor David Cross condemned fellow performers for participating, calling out the host nation’s “crimes against humanity” in a statement posted on his website. He cited allegations that the Saudi government assisted 9/11 hijackers, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s alleged role in the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, and the kingdom’s stance on LGBTQ and women’s rights.
Several comedians have also condemned the Riyadh Comedy Festival, arguing that Saudi Arabia is using the high-profile event to polish its global image despite longstanding allegations — including claims that the country assisted the 9/11 hijackers.
Comedian David Cross said he was “disgusted and deeply disappointed in this whole gross thing,” accusing participating performers of turning a blind eye to “a totalitarian fiefdom for … what, a fourth house? A boat? More sneakers?”
On a recent episode of the Matt and Shane’s Secret Podcast, comedian Shane Gillis revealed that he turned down a “significant” offer to perform at the festival. Gillis said organizers even doubled the amount, but he refused again.
“I took a principled stand,” he said. “You don’t 9/11 your friends.”
Comedian Marc Maron, who said he was not invited to perform, also referenced both 9/11 and the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi while mocking the festival’s lineup during a stand-up set.
“I mean, how do you even promote that?” Maron joked. “Like, ‘From the folks that brought you 9/11 — two weeks of laughter in the desert. Don’t miss it!’”
Meanwhile, Silicon Valley star Zach Woods posted a satirical Instagram video promoting the event, sarcastically referencing 9/11 and quipping that comedians frequently “whore themselves out to dictators.”
Fox News Digital has reached out to Davidson’s representatives for comment.
Over the years, Davidson has spoken candidly about how his father’s death in the 9/11 attacks has shaped his life. The comedian has often said he uses dark humor as a way to cope with his grief.
In a 2015 interview with The New York Times, Davidson shared that the trauma of losing his father led him to “rip his hair out until he was bald” while he was still in school.
“It was overwhelming,” he said.
“It was overwhelming,” the comedian said of his father’s death.
During a 2020 interview on CBS Mornings, Davidson reflected on how losing his father at such a young age profoundly shaped who he is today.
“Oh, yeah, absolutely,” he said. “One of my best friends is forever gone.”
In a 2023 appearance on Jon Bernthal’s Real Ones podcast, Davidson shared that his mother, Amy, initially withheld the truth about his father’s death. He said he first learned what had happened while watching the news.
“My dad told me he was going to pick me up on 9/11,” Davidson recalled. “I got picked up by my mom. She didn’t tell me what was going on for like three days. She kept telling me, ‘Dad’s at work.’ I had no idea. My mom’s like, ‘You’re just grounded, you’re not allowed to watch TV.’”
“I was like, ‘What? I didn’t do anything.’ And then one night I turned on the TV and saw my dad on TV. They were like, ‘These are all the firemen who are dead.’”
“One of my best friends is forever gone,” Davidson said of his father, a firefighter killed in the 9/11 attacks. “One night I turned on the TV and saw my dad on TV. They were like, ‘These are all the firemen who are dead.’”
During his conversation with Bernthal, Davidson reflected on how his mother, Amy, handled the tragedy. She was just 30 years old when Scott died, raising Pete and his sister, Casey, largely on her own.
“As I get older, I’m like, ‘Man, my mom was awesome,’” he said.
Davidson has often spoken about how comedy became a form of escape and healing for him in the years after his father’s death. In his Real Ones interview, he explained why he sometimes includes jokes about his father and 9/11 in his stand-up.
“I’m trying to share little jokes here and there about him because I like to keep that memory alive,” he said. “My dad was a great dude.”
“I’m trying to share little jokes here and there about him because I like to keep that memory alive,” Davidson said. “My dad was a great dude.”
Over the years, Davidson has continued to honor his father through tributes and his work — most notably in the 2020 semi-autobiographical film The King of Staten Island.
The coming-of-age story follows a young man grappling with the loss of his firefighter father at age seven and the emotional struggles that shape his journey toward healing and self-discovery.
“I think when you’re able to share a story like this, at this magnitude and with so many people, it really allowed me to be as open and honest as I could be,” Davidson told E! News in 2020. “It helped me deal with a lot of my personal demons.”
Pete Davidson and Elsie Hewitt attended the Los Angeles premiere of Amazon MGM Studios’ The Pickup on July 27.
On the morning of September 11, 2001, Davidson’s father, Scott, and his company, Ladder 118, were dispatched from their Brooklyn Heights firehouse to respond to the unfolding crisis at the World Trade Center.
Scott’s crew crossed the Brooklyn Bridge into Manhattan — a journey immortalized in an iconic photograph showing their firetruck heading toward the burning towers.
Upon arrival, the firefighters reported to the Marriott World Trade Center Hotel, located at the base of the North and South Towers, where they worked to evacuate guests and staff.
When the North Tower collapsed at 10:28 a.m., the hotel was destroyed, killing all six members of Ladder 118, including Scott Davidson.
During his appearance on This Past Weekend, Pete reflected on the famous photograph, which first appeared on the cover of the New York Daily News in tribute to the fallen firefighters of Ladder 118.
“They were the first truck over there,” he said. “And pretty much the whole house died, which is pretty sad — but at least he died with his pals.”
“That innocence is kind of taken away really fast. And that’s why I got into stand-up,” Davidson said.
The Bupkis star told Theo Von that he remembered his father, Scott, for his sense of humor, describing him as “f—— hilarious.”
“My memories are, you know, few and far between because I was seven, but I just remember laughing a lot and him being pretty jacked, smoking a lot of cigarettes, and driving a Subaru Impreza,” Pete recalled. “Always had a big smile on his face.”
Davidson also shared that, over the years, people have occasionally claimed to know Scott in order to gain access backstage at his comedy shows.
“I could always tell who was telling the truth because the second they start talking, they have this big smile and their eyes kind of light up, and they call him ‘Scotty,’ which is what his friends called him,” he said. “So I always could tell, and everything I hear is always really sweet.”
Reflecting on his friendships, Davidson explained why he has often gravitated toward older companions.
“When you go through a tragedy that young, your brain is older,” he said. “I always felt like I was older in school. That innocence is kind of taken away really fast. And that’s why I got into stand-up. I think that’s why I veered toward laughing a lot. Because I’m a sad dude.”
