Kim K dating the skinny millennial from Saturday Night Live is something I never thought I would see in my lifetime. And, since all of the reports of their coupling has come from gossip websites like TMZ and the famously unvetted DeuxMoi, I'm still not sure I have seen it. Are Pete Davidson and Kim Kardashian dating? Let's look at the evidence.
I'll be honest, at first I thought Pete Davidson and Kim Kardashian were the weirdest celebrity couple I had ever heard of. But when you look at Davidson's dating history, it actually makes a lot of sense. No offense to Pete, but the comedian has a thing for women that are more successful than him. Just look at his dating history — Ariana Grande, Kaia Gerber, Kate Beckinsale, Phoebe Dynevor — the only thing they have in common is how good they are at their jobs. Kim Kardashian is arguably one of the most influential people on the planet. She created a reality TV empire, launched successful fashion and beauty brands, and got positive reviews for hosting SNL. If you're asking if Kim K is Pete's type, the answer is: absolutely.
Still, that doesn't guarantee that they're in a relationship, and based on all the reports, there are only three options as to what's really going on with Pete and Kim.
Option 1: They're Just Friends
Rumors that Pete and Kim were dating started on Saturday, Oct. 30 — a couple weeks after her stint hosting SNL — after this photo of the duo holding hands on a roller coaster went viral. People was the first to report on the hangout, and quoted a source that said they were "just friends hanging out." According to the report, Pete and Kim were spending the day with Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker, who knows Pete through Machine Gun Kelly. "They hang in the same circles, so they will be together from time to time," the source explained.
Hmmm... holding hands with someone on a roller coaster is relatively normal, especially since it looks like they're going a billion miles an hour. That said, it's also basic teen flirting 101. "I'm a little scared, will you hold my hand?" I know. I've done it.
Option 2: They're Really Dating
It's one thing to hang out in a group with mutual friends, it's another to visit each other's hometowns. Especially if that hometown is Staten Island, a New York City borough that is notoriously annoying to get to on public transportation. And yet, that's exactly where Kim K went this week, as reported by TMZ. On Wednesday, Nov. 3, the site reported that Kim and Pete shared a private dinner in Staten Island at one of Pete's favorite restaurants Tuesday, Nov. 2.
Just as news of their dinner broke, the gossip Instagram account DeuxMoi was also spilling some Pete and Kim K tea. The account reposted a series of tips about the nature of their relationship. And while some tips insisted that the two were not really an item (more on that later), others were adamant that the two were, at the very least, "more than friends." One tipster even claimed that Kim was currently downplaying her relationship with Pete to appease her estranged husband, Kanye West.
A separate DeuxMoi tip also claimed that Kim had her publicist get Pete's number after she hosted SNL.
Option 3: It's A Publicity Stunt
Obviously, when you hear Kim Kardashian and Pete Davidson, two people who seem to have absolutely nothing in common, might be dating, one of your first thoughts is going to be "This isn't real." And there have been reports suggesting that the relationship is, in fact, just one big PR stunt. A tipster wrote into DeuxMoi claiming just that, adding that Pete was "really trying to get phoebe back/wants to make her a little jealous."
However, right after that, someone claiming to be a "relative" of Pete's wrote in to DeuxMoi and denied that this was all just publicity. "Pete doesn't do anything for publicity that's not really his thing," the mystery relative wrote. "He's having fun with Kim and that's all he cares about."
Final Thoughts
After reviewing the evidence, I'm choosing to believe that the truth is a little bit of all three. I don't think they're just doing it for the publicity because, honestly, Kim does not need Pete to boost her public profile. There are easier ways for her to stay in the press. And I'm not convinced by the whole idea that she's just doing this to take the spotlight back from Kourtney after her very big, very public engagement. The Kardashian press cycle always comes back around no matter what. That said, I also cannot imagine Kim and Pete are anything serious, mostly because I simply cannot imagine Pete taking care of four small children – he wouldn't last five minutes with North West.
I'm guessing that Kim and Pete are genuinely friends who are either casually dating or hooking up and don't care enough to hide it, which suggests they're also enjoying some of the publicity. Let us know what you think in the comments!
Image: Rosalind O'Connor/NBC; Mary Ellen Matthews/NBC