Becoming a father has changed the way Pete Davidson looks at the loss of his own dad. Pete’s dad Scott Matthew Davidson, was a New York City firefighter with Ladder Company 118 in Brooklyn Heights. On September 11, 2001, he was at the World Trade Center after the attacks and was killed while helping evacuate people from the Twin Towers. Pete was just seven years old at the time. As the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks approaches, the actor, comedian is confronting the tragedy from a perspective he could not have had as a seven-year-old boy — now he is the same age his father was when he died, and he has a daughter who is growing up without knowing her grandfather.Davidson’s father, Scott Davidson, was a New York City firefighter with Ladder Company 118 in Brooklyn Heights and was killed during the 9/11 attacks. Looking back on his childhood understanding of the tragedy, Davidson said in an interview with New York Post, “I thought, ‘Oh, he was an old guy. He’s 33,’” Davidson told The Post. “But now I’m there, and I have a kid, and that would be like my kid not having her dad.“So this year is extra tough, but also extra beautiful because I get to spend the day with Scottie. It’ll be very healing and special.”Davidson, who turns 33 in November, welcomed his daughter Scottie with model Elsie Hewitt in December. Although the couple later separated, they agreed on a name that carries a direct connection to Davidson’s late father.“It was really cool that Elsie also wanted to name her Scottie,” he said. “My dad’s name was Scott, but his nickname was Scotty. When she arrived, we both looked at her and were like, ‘She looks like a Scottie.’ It’s nice to keep that name alive.”There is another connection that Davidson finds especially poignant. When Scottie was a newborn, he noticed that she would often look towards a photograph of his father hanging above the sink where they bathed her.“When Scottie was first born, we’d give her a bath in the sink, and there’s a picture of my dad above the sink. She would always stare at it,” Davidson revealed.He initially wondered whether she was simply looking at the only picture in front of her. But after he moved the photograph, Scottie continued to turn towards it.“You’re like, ‘I don’t know if that’s because that’s the only picture there and she’s brand new and just observing things.’ But then I moved back to Brooklyn and put the picture in a different location. When I walk around, Scottie always turns her head and looks at him.“I don’t know what I believe in, but I like to think that his presence is somehow around.”Davidson has yet to decide how he will eventually tell Scottie about the circumstances surrounding her grandfather’s death. For now, he says he is still processing what it means to reach the age his father was when he was killed.“Luckily, I have some time,” the Staten Island native said. “Honestly, this year is way harder than it’s been in a really long time because I have Scottie, and now I’m the age that my dad was when he died. So I’m just kind of like, ‘Holy s–t.’”While that conversation with his daughter is still some way off, Davidson is already looking forward to introducing her to the man she was named after through the memories he has preserved.“I have old videos and pictures and stuff, and I’m excited to share the classic stories I have of him with her,” he said.Davidson will also honour his father and the other first responders by taking the stage at Madison Square Garden on September 10. He is teaming up with longtime friend Jon Stewart to host “NYC Still Rising After 25 Years: A 9/11 Comedy Benefit”, with proceeds going towards charities supporting first responders from the attacks and their families.For Davidson, the event offers a way to remember an incredibly painful chapter while also celebrating the people who continue to carry its legacy.“Jon Stewart’s my guy,” Davidson said. “Talk about someone who’s so New York and represents the tri-state area — and is just the barometer of goodwill. We’re pals. We did the 20th anniversary at the Garden, and we had every great comic. It was such a special night.“Benefits are tricky, and 9/11 is such a sad thing. So to be able to check that at the door and have a good time for a great cause is one of my favorite things. This is fun for us because all the firefighters, first responders, police and EMTs come, and we’re fans of them,” he added. “A lot of those guys are my dad’s friends and colleagues.”Davidson and Stewart have previously visited firehouses and the Port Authority together around 9/11 anniversaries. Stewart, in particular, became a prominent advocate for rescue and recovery workers who developed respiratory illnesses and cancers after being exposed to toxic dust at Ground Zero.His advocacy, alongside campaigners including John Feal, a demolition supervisor who lost his foot after being struck by a steel beam at the site, helped push Congress towards providing long-term medical care and compensation for affected workers. The James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act was eventually signed into law in 2019 and is funded through 2092.Davidson sees a personal connection in Stewart’s commitment to the cause.“He was also personally affected by 9/11, and it’s just nice to have a brother in that,” Davidson said of Stewart.More than two decades after losing his father, Davidson continues to find ways to keep his memory alive. This time, however, he is also doing it for a daughter who will know Scott Davidson through the stories, photographs and videos her father passes on to her.“You honor those people and always appreciate those guys. Those are real-life heroes,” he said. “If there’s anything I could ever do for anyone, I would do it. I really enjoy it, and I like to honor my dad and keep that memory alive.”
