It's Time to Admit Kim Kardashian's Romance With Pete Davidson Just Might Have Staying Power

As she navigates an increasingly messy split with ex-husband Kanye "Ye" West, Kim Kardashian's nascent romance with Pete Davidson might be the best thing that could have happened to her. Bible.

By Sarah Grossbart Jan 22, 2022 11:00 AMTags
Watch: Kim Kardashian & Pete Davidson Get COZY on Date Night

At this point, Pete Davidson is more than in on the joke. 

Yes, he's aware he's had quite the fortunate dating streak and, yes, he's happy to poke fun at the interest in his love life in weekly Saturday Night Live sketches. While portraying a version of President Joe Biden that exists in the real world, not the alternate reality we've all been existing in since the Chicago Cubs crushed their 108-year World Series championship drought in November 2016 (a bit that tracks better if you've seen the latest Spider-Man), Pete confirmed that most people are thriving in his corner of the multiverse. 

"Everyone on Earth is better off in the real world except one man named Pete Davidson," he cracked in the Jan. 15 cold open. "Your world is maybe more fun for him." 

Hard to argue with a track record that's seen Pete romance the likes of Cazzie David, Kate Beckinsale, Kaia Gerber and Phoebe Dynevor and enjoy a brief engagement to Ariana Grande that cemented the existence of his BDE. 

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Pete Davidson's Stacked Dating History

Though we'd argue his current paramour Kim Kardashian is also doing amazing, sweetie. 

In the nearly three months since a photo of her tightly clasping to the comedian's hand while riding a roller coaster at California theme park Knott's Berry Farm had the collective Internet asking, "What is it about Pete Davidson?!", the pair have made a seamless transition from friends just figuring things out to fully established couple. One insider told E! News the 41-year-old mom of four "is completely enthralled" by the New York City native and the wit sharp enough to land him an SNL gig at just 20 years old. "He makes her laugh the entire time they are together."

NBC

And while the now 28-year-old hasn't yet taken on meeting her kids North, 8, Saint, 6, Chicago, 4, and Psalm, 2 (regardless of what her ex Kanye "Ye" West may believe), he's already charmed the likes of family matriarch Kris Jenner and Kourtney Kardashian (whose future husband Travis Barker also offered a vote of confidence) pushing his romance with the aspiring attorney well past the let's-see-where-this-goes stage. 

"Kim and Pete are getting very serious," a source recently told E! News. "She's smitten and the relationship is very exciting to her."

Pete first showed the reality TV icon a whole new world not long after her Oct. 9 SNL hosting gig. With Kim still unraveling her marriage to Ye, the pair remaining supportive of one another following her February 2021 divorce filing, a source insisted she and Pete were simply friends. "She thinks he's really fun and funny," noted the source. "They have mutual friends in common, so they will probably hang out again, but everything is casual."

But while it was easy to brush off those initial Oct. 29 pics as a sometimes-coasters-are-scary moment, when the Hidden Hills, Calif., resident brought her Balenciaga boots to Pete's native Staten Island days later, it was clear that this was legit. 

"She's loving this time in her life and is having a lot of fun," a source told E! News at the time. "Whatever is going on between them is exciting to her."

And as their dates on both coasts have begun piling up (though SNL keeps Pete tied to New York, "he's planning to be in L.A. more often now," noted a source), the evidence points to a romance that's actually pretty freaking normal. 

In contrast to Kim's courtship with longtime pal Ye, which began with the rapper-slash-designer wooing her with his Paris fashion show, Pete has been relying on the same dating moves your high school sweetheart likely used on you. 

"Like if you go to a great restaurant, even if I'm a s--tty date, it's like at least the food was great," he explained on iHeartMedia's River Cafe Table 4 podcast of going with the tried-and-true dinner date. "I've always found that [a restaurant] or a movie is so easy because you don't have to talk, or you can just laugh at the same thing and look at each other for a second."

kimkardashian / Instagram

Save for a New Year's trip to the Bahamas, their date nights have involved outings to grab pizza and ice cream, trips to the movie theater and, of course, those theme park thrills. And by all accounts Kim is loving it. 

"Pete is quite the charmer and she totally understands the allure," an insider explained in November. "Kim loves that they just laugh the entire time they are together and she is really enjoying hanging out with him."

So much so that the Givenchy- and Balmain-wearing CFDA-winning Vogue cover girl has felt comfortable tooling around in solidified relationship wear like sweats and sneaks and picking up fast food to go.

Is this love? We'll certainly be keeping up to see. 

As a wise woman once said, "Maybe my fairy-tale has a different ending than I dreamed it would. But that's OK." Even if that happily ever after involves date nights to Rite Aid and Hot Dog on a Stick. Take a look at all the ways Pete and Kim's romance is kinda normal AF. 

They Celebrate Valentine's Day—Early

The two had dinner at Lilia restaurant in Brooklyn, NY on Feb. 12, 2022.

They Go Walking in Staten!

Kim Kardashian turning up in new flame Pete Davidson's New York City hometown was one thing. Kim Kardashian stepping foot in Pete Davidson's native Staten Island was basically a flashing neon yes-I'm-really-into-him sign. And it does appear their romance has been full steam ahead since a Nov. 2 date night to the borough's Italian joint Campania. Weeks later, they took advantage of the comic's surprise night off from Saturday Night Live to indulge in another taste of Italy at the waterfront Angelina's Ristorante.

They Lean Into Casual Date Nights!

After a wild night celebrating Pete's Nov. 16 birthday that involved Kris Jenner's Palm Springs manse, matching SKIMS pajamas and Flavor Flav (seriously), the two went low-key the next day with loungewear and Hot Dog on a Stick. The corn dogs were hand-delivered from the mall to their car by Kim's security detail, but still

They Make it a Movie Night!

Pete wasn't bluffing when he said hitting up a theater is his go-to move. And since their Dec. 18 outing to Eltingville's Atrium Stadium Cinemas on Staten Island (Scott Disick joined them to watch Lady Gaga's House of Gucci) came weeks into their pairing, it seems Kim successfully avoided his dating dealbreaker. A stickler for good manners, he revealed on iHeartMedia's River Cafe Table 4 podcast that he hates when someone is rude to waitstaff: "Immediately, in my head I would be like, 'This is it.'"

They Rewear Outfits!

Okay, a trip to the Bahamas aboard a private jet with your boo of two months isn't exactly casual. But the fact that Kim deplaned in L.A. wearing the same bodysuit and ripped denim she'd worn for their Jan. 5 boat outing several hours earlier, well, we're here for it.  

They Grab Pizza and Ice Cream!

Okay, this is pretty sweet: After grabbing two pies at L.A.'s Jon & Vinny's Jan. 11, the pair decided to get their just desserts, stopping for ice cream on their way home. 

They Hit Up Drug Stores!

And did we mention they grabbed those cones from inside a local Rite Aid?! While this does seem to be a whole new speed for the KKW beauty founder whose go-to spots in the past have included Mr. Chow in Beverly Hills and London's Hakkasan, "It's all very light and fun," an insider told E! News. "It's a huge change and just what she needs right now. She's enjoying it being easy and effortless."

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