Pete Davidson Says He Was High on Ketamine at Aretha Franklin’s Funeral

Pete Davidson is reflecting back to some difficult moments in his life.

In his new Netflix comedy special, Pete Davidson: Turbo Fonzarelli, the 30-year-old star recalled being under the influence of ketamine while attending the 2018 memorial service of the legendary Aretha Franklin alongside his then-fiancée Ariana Grande. “It’s embarrassing when you’re not on ketamine anymore, though,” Davidson admitted. “I’m embarrassed. I was out and about like that. That’s not cool, you know?”

“Yeah, I have to live with that,” he continued. “[Aretha] will never know, but still, that’s not the point. You know what I mean?”

Davidson added that while in his intoxicated state of mind, he made a joke to Franklin’s family. “I’m so high, I thought it would be a good idea to go up to her family and go, ‘Hey, I’m just here to pay my R-E-S-P-E-C-Ts,’” he recalled, referencing Franklin’s classic track, “Respect.”

The Saturday Night Live veteran often speaks openly about his mental health struggles and past drug use. He has suffered from PTSD after, at the age of seven, losing his father, firefighter Scott Davidson, in the 9/11 attacks, and as an adult has been diagnosed with borderline personality disorder (BPD).