- Pete Davidson appeared on the March 26 episode of Everybody’s Live with John Mulaney alongside comedian Luenell, who grilled him about his dating life and how he can “pull all these bad bitches”
- A source now tells PEOPLE that Davidson was even more “uncomfortable” during a blindfolded segment later in the show, where Luenell ran her hand up his thigh
- Luenell has issued an apology for her behavior, telling PEOPLE, in part: “I did not mean to make Pete uncomfortable. I sincerely apologize. It was all done in jest.”
Pete Davidson awkwardly laughed off jokes about dating Kim Kardashian during his appearance on Everybody’s Live with John Mulaney — but that wasn’t the only moment that left him visibly uncomfortable.
A source close to Davidson, 31, tells PEOPLE that while he had no problems about fellow guest comedian Luenell poking fun at his dating history and “mystique”, the tone of the segment shifted in an unexpected and unsettling way.
“Pete was fine answering any questions — there was no issue with Kim, and he loves Mulaney,” the source says. “Everyone on the show was having a great time with him until this happened.”
According to the source, the uncomfortable moment came during a blindfolded segment when Luenell, 66, ran her hand up Davidson’s leg — all on live TV.
“The whole set felt uncomfortable,” the source explains. “It was really inappropriate, but Mulaney stepped in and kept things going. Pete played along in the moment because he didn’t want to derail the live show.”
The source adds, “People believe they can treat Pete differently and view him as fair game for these ‘jokes’ because of their perception of him, but it was just wrong and shows an unfortunate double standard. Fans clearly agreed and noticed it right away.”
Netflix
In response to the incident, a rep for Luenell tells PEOPLE: “By no means did my client, Luenell, want to make Mr. Davidson uncomfortable during their respective appearance on ‘Everybody’s Live With John Mulaney.’ She was just being playful.”
Luenell also issued an apology of her own, saying, “I admit, I was tickling Pete’s leg during a segment of ‘Everybody’s Live With John Mulaney’; however, I did not mean to make Pete uncomfortable. I sincerely apologize. It was all done in jest. I hope Pete will forgive me, and I’m still willing to go out on a date with him if he so chooses. And I promise I won’t touch him again unless he wants me to!”
The episode — which aired live on March 26 — started off light, with Davidson seemingly relaxed as his dating life became a topic of conversation. The comedian famously dated Kardashian for nine months, from October 2021 to August 2022. He’s also been linked to Madelyn Cline, Chase Sui Wonders, Kate Beckinsale, and Ariana Grande.
Luenell leaned into the segment’s playful vibe and didn’t hold back. “To me, you’re just an average guy,” she told Davidson. “Regular guy, but you continuously pull all these bad bitches, right? … So, since I don’t get it, I want to know the mystique.”
“Now, you’ve had Kim K, several other people, you’ve got this little supermodel right now,” she continued, referring to Davidson’s current girlfriend, model Elsie Hewitt.
While Davidson laughed awkwardly, she followed up with a bold suggestion of her own: “What I think, for the research and for women across America, I think that you should take me out.”
Caught off guard, Davidson responded with a nervous laugh and a blush: “If that’s what it takes to stop this, yeah.”
Netflix
But once the blindfolds came out and the interaction turned physical, many viewers felt the situation crossed a line — and they didn’t hold back online.
“I feel like Luenell was being way too pushy on Pete’s personal life. When the blindfolds were on, she was touching his leg,” one person commented on Instagram.
Another wrote, “This!! Made me so uncomfortable and sad for Pete. You could see how uncomfortable he was and how his mood totally shifted and became more withdrawn and silent. Really wish they told her to f— off.”
Others pointed out a double standard: “No, it’s just — if this was a man doing it to a woman, he would’ve been kicked off immediately. I can see when someone is uncomfortable and when someone is crossing someone’s boundaries.”
That moment landed especially hard considering Davidson has previously opened up about the emotional toll of public scrutiny. Just last month, he told Page Six that the constant focus on his relationships has been “pretty humiliating and upsetting.”
“Everyone is dating everyone and it’s Hollywood,” he said. “But because I’m ugly, they wrote about me. I was harassed for like, five years and it made my life a living hell.”
He continued, “It’s embarrassing because you want people to write about your work. I was one of the youngest-ever cast members on SNL and all that got pushed to the side because of who I was dating.”
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Everybody’s Live with John Mulaney airs live on Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT on Netflix.
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