Pete Davidson Admits He Likes 'Assertive' Women: 'I Grew Up [with] All Ladies in the House'

Mar. 15, 2025

Pete Davidson.Photo:Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty

Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty

Pete Davidsonenjoys a strong female presence in his life!

During an appearance onThe Drew Barrymore Showon Jan. 31, theSaturday Night Livealum, 31, opened up about his dating preferences after hostDrew Barrymoreasked how men felt about a woman making the first move.

“I’m the girl, I think, whenever I’m in a relationship,” he confessed. “So, some guys are shy … when a lady’s like, ‘Hey,’ you know?”

When Barrymore asked if men like women with “assertiveness,” Davidson replied, “I do, because I grew up [with] all ladies in the house, so I act pretty feminine.”

Davidson has had ahistory of datingstrong women includingAriana Grande,Kim Kardashianand most recentlyOuter BanksstarMadelyn Cline.

“Suddenly you’re in this zeitgeist and that has nothing to do with the work,” he said. “And that’s a really s—ty feeling. I became more known before the work was there, but I was always working.”

Pete Davidson.Jamie McCarthy/WireImage

Jamie McCarthy/WireImage

The comedian said he felt like a “loser,” especially whenSNLwould poke fun at his dating life, because he didn’t know how to navigate that. “You’ve gotta walk out and do a sketch next and hit your mark and the show just made fun of you. So, why are they gonna laugh at you? Like, they just dogged you in front of everyone,” he said, later noting, “This was a really difficult thing to do. You feel small. You feel super insecure.”

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.Then in December 2024, Davidsonopened up about the lessons he had learned over the yearsfrom dating in the public eye and what he was hoping to accomplish moving forward.

“I got hit on the face with the Hollywood shovel,” theDog Manstar toldW Magazine. “It was a long time coming, and I needed it. I’m very happy where I am right now, mentally."

“I just want to be known for doing good work,” he added. “I want to be out there only when it’s [a] movie, stand-up, charity, or business ventures. That’s when I want to be seen. I don’t want to be this f—ing loser who just dates people. That’s not who I am.”

source: people.com