Pete Davidson says becoming a father changed how he views losing his dad on 9/11

# Overview

Pete Davidson spoke about how becoming a father has changed his perspective on losing his dad in the September 11 attacks. His father, New York City firefighter Scott Davidson, died responding to the attacks in 2001 when Pete was 7. Now 33 and a new parent, Pete says the loss has taken on new meaning.

# Why fatherhood shifted his view

When he was a child, Davidson remembered his father as an older man — "I thought, 'Oh, he was an old guy. He's 33,'" he told the New York Post in an interview cited by Al Bawaba. Approaching the same age his father was at the time of his death has changed that mental image. He described the realization this way: being 33 and having a child made him imagine "my kid not having her dad." That shift has made the anniversary this year feel different.

# The daughter and the name

Davidson and model Elsie Hewitt welcomed their daughter, Scottie, in December. Although the couple later split, both parents agreed on the name. Davidson said they both thought the baby looked like a "Scottie," and the name also preserves his father's name — Scott, sometimes called Scotty.

He shared a personal anecdote about Scottie and a photograph of her grandfather. While bathing her by the sink where a picture of Scott hung, he noticed the newborn staring at it. After moving the picture to a different room, he watched Scottie turn toward it again. He said he does not know how to interpret the behavior but likes to imagine his father's presence remains somehow near.

# The 25th anniversary: events and feeling

This year marks 25 years since the attacks. Davidson described the anniversary as "extra tough, but also extra beautiful because I get to spend the day with Scottie." He said the day may be "healing and special" because he can spend it with his daughter while remembering his father.

# Preserving memories and future conversations

Davidson said he has kept photographs and videos of his father and looks forward to sharing them and stories with Scottie when she is older. He has not decided exactly how he will explain the events of September 11 to his daughter, but he emphasized that he still has time to shape that conversation as she grows.

# Context and recurring themes

Davidson has long spoken about his personal loss and continues to push back against online trivialization of the tragedy. For him, the anniversary is not an abstract date but a personal milestone tied to family, memory, and caregiving.

# Bottom line

Becoming a parent has reframed Davidson's relationship to his father's death: the same age that once seemed old now feels immediate, the presence of his daughter creates both pain and solace, and he is actively combining remembrance with charitable action ahead of the 25th anniversary.