CNN –
“Saturday Night Live” host Pete Davidson addressed “the horrific images and stories coming out of Israel and Gaza” in deeply personal remarks in the opening minutes of the new episode of the long-running sketch show.
Davidson’s emotional comments focused particularly on the children who suffered as a result of the conflict.
Davidson spoke about his personal connection to dealing with tragedy and terrorism after his father, Scott Davidson, a New York City firefighter, died in the September 11 attacks.
Read his full statement below.
This week we have seen the horrific images and stories from Israel and Gaza. And I know what you’re thinking, who better to comment on this than Pete Davidson? (Laugh)
Well, in many ways I’m a good person to talk about this because when I was seven years old my father was killed in a terrorist attack. So I know something about what that’s like.
I’ve seen so many horrible images of suffering children this week – Israeli and Palestinian children – and it took me back to a really horrible, horrible place. No one in this world deserves to suffer, especially not children.
After my father died, my mother tried just about everything she could to cheer me up. I remember one day when I was eight years old when she got me what she thought was a Disney movie, but it was actually the Eddie Murphy stand-up special “Delirious.” We played it in the car on the way home and when she heard what Eddie Murphy said she tried to take it away. But then she noticed something, and for the first time in a long time I laughed again.
I do not get it. I really don’t. I will never. But sometimes comedy really is the only way out of tragedy.
My heart goes out to everyone whose lives were destroyed this week. But tonight I’m going to do what I’ve always done in the face of tragedy, and that’s try to be funny. Remember I said try it. And live from New York, it’s Saturday evening.
After a months-long delay due to the writers’ strike, “SNL” returned with Davidson as host. Davidson was scheduled to host in May before the strike began.