Last week, social media buzzed with reports that Pete Davidson—who once had over 200 tattoos—was now completely ink-free. The speculation arose from his appearance in a Reformation campaign, where the “Saturday Night Live” alum posed shirtless, seemingly without any visible body art.
Davidson, known for his extensive tattoos, has been undergoing tattoo removal for several years. He previously discussed his decision in a 2021 episode of Late Night with Seth Meyers. Given how closely he has been associated with his ink, social media reactions on X (formerly Twitter) were mixed about his new, clean-skinned look.
However, during Sunday’s SNL 50 special, Davidson appeared in a pre-taped sketch where he stripped down, revealing that he still has numerous tattoos across his torso.
The sketch, titled Chad in 8H, featured Davidson reprising his laid-back character “Chad” as he accompanied original SNL cast member Laraine Newman on a nostalgic tour of the show’s historic studio. At one point, Newman commented that if it were 1975, she “would have been all over” Chad. In response, Davidson’s character casually removed his clothes, exposing tattoos still covering his stomach and chest. His arms and shoulders, however, appeared to be fading or nearly tattoo-free.
The timeline of Davidson’s tattoo removal remains unclear, as it is unknown when the SNL 50 sketch or the Reformation campaign was filmed. Over the past six months, he has been spotted with visible tattoos on his arms, yet in the Reformation ads, his skin appears completely bare.
HuffPost has reached out to Davidson and Reformation for clarification.
Davidson himself has recently hinted that his tattoo removal process is still ongoing.
During a January appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, he described the process as “horrible.” He explained, “They have to burn off a layer of your skin, then it has to heal for six to eight weeks, and you can’t get in the sunlight. And then you have to do it like 12 more times.”
Earlier this month, Davidson, now 31, also told Seth Meyers that he doesn’t expect to be completely tattoo-free until he’s 40, noting that removing a single tattoo can take “at least seven visits.”
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