All About Pete Davidson's Parents, Mom Amy and Late Dad Scott (Whom He Named His Daughter After)

Pete Davidson lost his father at a young age, a tragedy that profoundly shaped his life.

Scott Matthew Davidson and Amy Waters Davidson raised their children — Pete, born in 1993, and Casey, born in 1997 — on Staten Island. When Pete was just 7 years old, Scott, who worked as a New York City firefighter, died during the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

"I tell my friends that if my childhood [had been] fine, I'd probably be a construction worker in Staten Island and be the happiest guy ever," Pete said on a July 2022 episode of Kevin Hart's Hart to Heart series. "But that weird s--- that it does to you, made me love comedy."

Pete has found meaningful ways to keep Scott's memory alive, from tattoo tributes to creative projects inspired by his life. That love came full circle in December 2025, when Pete welcomed his first child and named his daughter, Scottie Rose Hewitt Davidson, in his father’s honor.

Here's everything to know about Pete Davidson's parents, dad Scott and mom Amy.

Scott was an N.Y.C. firefighter who died in the 9/11 terrorist attacks

According to the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, Scott became a firefighter in 1994 with Ladder Company 118.

Prior to starting his career, he earned a bachelor's degree in history from the College of Staten Island, where he also played on the school's basketball team and served as captain his senior year.

Scott was working during the Sept. 11 attacks and died in the line of duty. At the time, Davidson was just 7 years old. The comedian and his family have been open about how losing his father at such a young age impacted him.

In October 2015, his mother, Amy, told The New York Times that after his father's death, Davidson began acting out in school and, at one point, ripped all his hair out. As a teenager, he turned to stand-up comedy as an outlet.

"He had a tough time growing up without a dad — I wanted him to be happy, and this made him really, really happy," she said.

In September 2023, Amy honored her late husband with a since-deleted Instagram post. She shared several throwback photos, including one of her and Scott hugging and a snap of a young Pete wearing his father’s firefighting gear.

“Happiest days of my life and I didn’t know it,” she captioned the post. “Never forget and always be grateful."

Davidson lived with Amy as an adult

Following his split from Ariana Grande in October 2018, Davidson bought a home on Staten Island with his mother.

"We bought a house together, but nobody believes that," he said during an April 2019 appearance on The Tonight Show. "I live with my mom, kinda, so I have like a basement that's like mine that's like an apartment, so I live underneath her, so I'm getting like a little arcade set up down there trying to make it mine."

While promoting his 2020 Netflix special Alive From New York, the comedian gave a tour of his basement apartment. "I moved here like a year ago and built this weird little basement to stay away from f------ people," he said in February 2020.

When the tour got to his room, he joked, "This is my bedroom, where nothing happens because I live with my mom."

During an SNL Weekend Update segment in February 2021, Davidson revealed that he was moving out of his mother's house.

"In some ways, I like the pandemic Valentine's because it's the first time being alone wasn't my fault," he said. "I spent the night eating chocolates and watching a movie with my mom, which is why I'm officially moving out of the house. One of us has to go."

Davidson and Amy have appeared together on-screen

While Amy isn't a professional entertainer like her son, she's comfortable being on camera. In May 2019, she joined Davidson on SNL's Weekend Update segment for a Mother's Day episode.

The comedian joked about their living arrangement, saying, "I know what people think. They see you on TV and magazines and stuff and they think, 'That guy must have a place.' Nope."

When host Colin Jost asked Davidson what he and his mom had planned for Mother's Day, he quipped, "What do you mean? I put her on TV. This is it." He then added, "I mean, you don't know. Jon Hamm could be single and watching."

"I'd also settle for James Spader," Amy replied. "You'd settle for a Ninja Turtle. I just need a dad," Davidson quipped.

In February 2023, Amy also appeared in a Smartwater commercial alongside her son.

"I'm still the same old kid from Staten Island. I'm just a little more elevated," Davidson says in the ad.

Later, the comedian and his mom are seated at a dining table while a personal chef presents them with black truffle grilled cheese. "I still chill with my mom," he says as he blows the truffles off the plate.

Davidson continues to honor his dad's memory

Known for his love of ink, Davidson has included multiple tributes to his father in his sprawling tattoo collection. (Davidson is currently in the process of removing his tattoos.)

On his left arm, the comedian has a kneeling firefighter tattoo along with the firefighter's prayer and the Roman numeral nine, which likely represents the month his father died. Davidson's upper left arm also features a tattoo of his father's initials, SMD. Behind his ear, he has the number 11 tattooed.

Davidson has also shared social media tributes to his father on the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.

For the 15-year anniversary in September 2016, he shared a photo of himself with his dad sipping Heineken beer along with the caption, "Can't believe tomorrow is going to be 15 years. Missing the legend !!! Thank u all for ur kind words and support as always #werememberthem."

He also posted a photo of his father wearing black boots, writing, "One of my dads homies gave me his old dirty a– boots from work and a sick photo of him lookin like a young legend !!! Apparently my dad wore skechers how f—in embarrassing!"

During a virtual appearance on Jimmy Kimel Live in June 2020, Davidson, joined by his mother, shared that he made a donation in his father's honor to Answer The Call, an organization that provides support to families of N.Y.C.'s first responders.

"Answer The Call is the fund that helped my family when my dad passed," the comedian told host Jimmy Kimmel. "It helps for firefighters and ES workers that passed away in the line of duty and it helps out their families."

They inspired Davidson's 2020 film The King of Staten Island

In 2020, Davidson released The King of Staten Island, a semi-autobiographical film that draws on his childhood experiences.

In the film, directed by Judd Apatow and co-written by Davidson, the comedian plays Scott, a 20-something aspiring tattoo artist living in N.Y.C. and grappling with the loss of his firefighter father, who died 17 years prior.

"The movie is like my love letter to my mom, and trying to end that part of my life," Davidson told PEOPLE at the time. "I feel like we finally got to a place where we could let go a little bit."

In a June 2020 interview with The New York Times, Davidson said he saw the movie as an opportunity to "just really lay it all out there and be able to heal and move on from it, instead of, every day, feeling sorry for myself. Now we can put that in the past."

Davidson's daughter is named for his late father

On Dec. 12, Davidson and his girlfriend, Elsie Hewitt, welcomed their first child, a daughter. They named her Scottie Rose Hewitt Davidson, a tribute to Davidson's father, Scott. Rose, meanwhile, is Hewitt's middle name.

"my best work yet, i am absolutely overflowing with love and gratitude and disbelief," Hewitt captioned her Instagram post, which featured photos of the couple holding their newborn.

"wu tang forever," Davidson added.