Pete Davidson defends Ariana Grande over body criticism

Pete Davidson has spoken out in defence of Ariana Grande over online criticism of her appearance. His answer was short and direct. He said he does not like it at all.

The remarks came in a Variety cover-story interview published on Sept. 30, as reported by Billboard. Davidson, who was once engaged to Grande, was asked about the scrutiny around her looks. He replied: "I don't like it at all" and "It's not cool."

He then spoke about how he thinks Grande will cope with the attention. "She knows how to handle this stuff though. She's been around. She'll be OK, but I think it's f--ked up," he told Variety. It was a brief comment. It left little doubt about his view.

Davidson and Grande started dating in 2018 and got engaged within months, meaning they had announced plans to marry. The relationship ended by the end of October that year. It was brief and widely followed at the time. That history is part of why his comments have drawn attention now, eight years on.

In August, Grande announced she would step away from the public eye for an undisclosed period. The announcement followed increased scrutiny after the release of her "Petal" music video. She did not set a date for a return. In practice, a break of that kind usually means fewer appearances, fewer interviews and less direct engagement on social media for a while.

This is not the first time comments about her appearance have been discussed openly. In a 2024 interview, Grande addressed body-shaming and criticism of her looks, as reported by People. Body-shaming, in plain terms, means negative public remarks about someone's body or how they look. That earlier discussion centred on the effect of those remarks when they come at scale, from thousands of strangers at once.

Davidson's intervention comes from a different place, as someone who knows her personally rather than as a spokesperson or collaborator. He did not single out specific posts or accounts. He kept his focus on the tone of the criticism itself.

For fans, this means hearing a familiar voice enter an ongoing conversation. Former partners rarely comment on each other's current coverage. Davidson chose to do so here, and he kept the message simple.

The Variety interview stands as the record of what was said. No further detail about Grande's break has been confirmed beyond the August announcement. Any update on a return will need to come from Grande or her team.