Celebrity

Kim Kardashian & Pete Davidson’s Reported Breakup Has Twitter Running Wild

Fans haven’t forgotten the SNL star’s tattoos and brand.

by Brad Witter
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 02: Pete Davidson and Kim Kardashian attend The 2022 Met Gala Celebrating "...
Gotham/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

When reports of a Kim Kardashian and Pete Davidson breakup emerged late Aug. 5, fans on Twitter needed a moment to process their emotions. While some hoped the rumors were false, others were “genuinely shocked,” including one user who tweeted, “Everything I learned about them as a couple was against my will and yet somewhere deep inside I was 100% convinced they were end game.” Though a representative for Kardashian declined Bustle’s request for comment on the split rumors, an source close to the couple told E! that they had, indeed, broken up after nine months of dating.

Claiming that Kardashian and Davidson’s split occurred sometime earlier in the week, the insider said that they still have “a lot of love and respect for each other,” but distance and busy schedules ultimately “made it really difficult to maintain a relationship.”

As the Skims founder explained during the first season of Hulu’s The Kardashians, she and Davidson shared their first kiss — in character as Disney’s Jasmine and Aladdin, no less — during her Oct. 9 Saturday Night Live hosting gig. Feeling a spark, Kardashian made the first move, asking an SNL producer for the comedian’s phone number. After the pair was spotted holding hands during a Knott’s Berry Farm Halloween outing soon afterward, relationship rumors began swirling in earnest. Needless to say, the public was invested, hence the reason for so many strong reactions to the reports of the relationship’s eventual demise — though many remained split on their feelings.

Once the reality set in, however, several Twitter users began to ponder more practical matters, namely Davidson’s tattoos in Kardashian’s honor. During a March appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, the reality star revealed that, in addition to ink that read, “My Girl Is a Lawyer,” her then-boyfriend also got the name “Kim” branded on his body. Later, fans spotted another “KNSCP,” which many have assumed represents the names of Kardashian’s children (with ex Kanye West): North, 9, Saint, 6, Chicago, 4, and Psalm, 3.

On the topic of Ye, another common trend in the numerous post-breakup memes and tweets was imagining the rapper’s reaction. Though a judge declared him and Kardashian legally single in March, the Yeezy designer made multiple attempts to win Kardashian back while she was dating the SNL star, including a Valentine’s Day delivery of a truck full of roses. Meanwhile, he also made no secret of his feelings about Davidson on social media, and even appeared to kidnap, tie up, and bury him alive in his “Eazy” music video.

Not long after the breakup reports hit, another KarJenner family bombshell dropped: Khloé Kardashian and ex Tristan Thompson had welcomed a baby boy via surrogate. (A representative for Khloé confirmed the new arrival to Bustle.) Given the timing of both announcements, many believed that matriarch Kris Jenner was scheming behind the scenes.

As for what’s next for Kardashian and Davidson as they return to single life, well, Twitter had some lighthearted ideas there, too. While someone predicted that the Keeping Up With the Kardashians alum might record her own version of Ariana Grande’s “Thank U, Next,” another fan joked that the King of Staten Island star had already rebounded — with Queen Elizabeth, no less. Then, there are those who have guessed that Kardashian might have a reconciliation in her future, though many couldn’t agree on which of her exes that might happen with. As one user pointed out, however, she posed in West’s Yeezy brand one day before her reported breakup went public, and West’s fifth divorce lawyer dropped him as a client on Aug. 5, citing “a breakdown in communication.”

All things considered, it seems Kardashian is ready to move on — but only time will tell where that next move might take her.