Pete Davidson Reveals Controversial Joke He Shared at Aretha Franklin’s Funeral Under Influence of Ketamine
Comedian Pete Davidson's controversial confession: while under the influence of ketamine, he humorously requested to pay his respects to the legendary Aretha Franklin at her funeral in 2018
During the funeral of Aretha Franklin, Pete Davidson had a strong message for her family while he was under the influence of ketamine, as revealed in his Netflix special "Pete Davidson: Turbo Fonzarelli" which premiered on January 9th. He expressed regret and embarrassment for attending the funeral in that state.
Davidson made a joking comment about Franklin not being aware that he was under the influence of drugs. He also mentioned attending the funeral as Ariana Grande's plus one and making an embarrassing high remark to Franklin's family.
At the 2018 funeral held at Greater Grace Temple in Detroit, Michigan, Grande, 30, delivered her own rendition of Franklin's "A Natural Woman." Earlier on the day of Franklin's passing in August 2018, Grande had performed the same song during her appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. (It was confirmed at the time that Franklin had passed away at the age of 76 after battling pancreatic cancer.)
This was not the first time that the former Saturday Night Live cast member had openly discussed using ketamine. While on stage with John Mulaney and Jon Stewart during their "Jon, John & Pete" tour in September 2023, Davidson shared that he had been using the drug for four years.
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Earlier in the year, there were reports that Davidson had entered rehab due to struggles with PTSD and borderline personality disorder. Before his alleged admission into the facility, he was charged with reckless driving after crashing his car into a home in Beverly Hills, California. It was reported that Davidson had lost control of the vehicle while driving in March 2023 with then-girlfriend Chase Sui Wonders. He was not arrested at the time and authorities didn't believe drugs or alcohol played a role in the accident.
In July 2023, Davidson was placed under a diversion program, avoiding jail time if he completed treatment and education classes. He was ordered to complete 50 hours of community service, attend 12 hours of traffic school, and finish a course at a morgue regarding victims of reckless drivers, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office.
