Imagine being a comedian and making a tone-deaf joke about a terrorist attack, only to then get engaged to one of the main victim’s of the attack a year later.
Awkward.
That’s exactly what happened with Pete Davidson, who poked fun at the Manchester bombing and now-fiancé Ariana Grande, only two months after the attack.
During a stand-up routine at the Laugh Factory in Los Angeles, The Mirror claims that Pete joked about how Ariana must realise how famous she had become after the incident, because “Britney Spears didn’t have a terrorist attack at her concert.”
However, a friend of Pete’s is coming to his defence.
“He lost his dad in 9/11 and is close with other victims of violent tragedies. As a way of coping he turns to humor,” the source told People. “He’s obviously sensitive to tragedy as he lost his own father and his intention is to just make people laugh.”
Whatever the reason, at the time the joke was highly offensive, with a mother who lost her 15-year-old daughter slamming the joke.
“For anyone to joke about this situation is disgusting and I think he should publicly apologise for it,” she told The Mirror.
“The families will find it equally as disgusting. We don’t need jokes about it, there have been plenty around, and it’s heartbreaking to hear every day.”
Although it’s highly awkward, he and Ariana seem to be doing fine since the news broke.
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