Bill Keveney
USA TODAY
Published 12:04 p.m. UTC Jul 6, 2018
Ariana Grande says fiancé Pete Davidson’s months-old joke that referenced a fatal bombing at her 2017 Manchester, England, concert is “unfortunate” and not funny.
Twenty-two people died and many more were injured as a result of a suicide bombing that took place as fans were leaving Grande’s concert on May 22, 2017. Grande followed up with a benefit concert to help victims and their families.
Davidson’s joke, made at a benefit event last fall, resurfaced recently. According to People, Davidson cited the bombing in reference to Grande’s growing fame: “Britney Spears didn’t have a terrorist attack at her concert.”
In a heartfelt Twitter response Thursday to a fan asking why she remains with the “Saturday Night Live” star in light of his joke, Grande called the joke “unfortunate,” but added that Davidson uses comedy to make people feel better and is never malicious.
Related: Ariana Grande ditches heavy makeup, gets honest about PTSD after Manchester for ‘British Vogue’
More: It’s been a year since deadly attack on Ariana Grande concert in Manchester
After @ariisalegend couldn’t understand why “she is still with Pete” after his “rude” joke, Grande replied: “This has been v tough & conflicting on my heart. he uses comedy to help ppl feel better ab how f-ed up things in this world are. we all deal w trauma differently. I of course didn’t find it funny. it was months ago & his intention wasn’t/ is never malicious but it was unfortunate.”
Davidson, who joined “SNL” in 2014, lost his father, a firefighter, in the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in New York. The comedian is known for including his father’s death and 9/11 in his standup act as a way of coping, as he does in a NSFW Comedy Central clip from “SMD — Coping with a Family Tragedy.” His father’s name was Scott Michael Davidson.
More: Pete Davidson confirms Ariana Grande engagement: ‘I feel like I won a contest’
Davidson confirmed reports of the couple’s engagement in a June appearance on NBC’s “The Tonight Show,” about a month after he confirmed on Instagram that he and Grande were dating.
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