Pete Davidson reflects on 'dark, scary' mental health struggles, plus more news

By Wonderwall.com Editors 2:08pm PDT, Jun 8, 2020

'King of Staten Island' star Pete Davidson opens up about 'dark' period in 2018

"I got as close as you can get — just like testing the waters." That's the candid response Pete Davidson gave on "CBS Sunday Morning" over the weekend when he was asked how close he came to ending it all. "Until I met the right treatments and met the right doctors and did all the work that you need to do to not feel that way," he explained, "it got pretty dark and scary." The "SNL" star was interviewed ahead of the release of "King of Staten Island," his first major film, which he co-wrote and stars in. The Judd Apatow-directed dramedy is semi-autobiographical and taps some of the experiences the 26-year-old has opened up about since his work on "SNL" — and high-profile relationships with the likes of Ariana Grande — pushed him into the limelight. The main character struggles with the death of his dad, a firefighter on New York City's Staten Island; Staten Island native Pete's father died while responding to the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. His character also struggles with some of the mental health issues that have long plagued the comic, including depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts. Asked about a scene where he squeezes his eyes shut while driving and almost crashes, he admits: "I used to do that. I used to close my eyes on a closed road, usually at night, and I would ride without a seat belt." At the end of 2018, Pete, who has said he suffers from borderline personality disorder, posted an apparent suicide threat on social media, sparking alarm among his fans and loved ones. He sought in-patient treatment soon afterwards — and again, more recently, according to Page Six. "I really wanted this to be cleansing for me," he told CBS over the weekend. "I feel like I got to speak about it in the biggest way possible, and I could get my story out there, so I feel like now I could let it go." "King of Staten Island" hits streaming platforms Friday, June 12.

Keep reading to see the tweet that has IssaRae super confused …

Issa Rae is very confused after Donald Trump's sole Twitter like arrives … on a tweet about 'Insecure'

Donald Trump left fans of Issa Rae's hit HBO series "Insecure" more than a little confused on Sunday after the latest episode. It seems the president bucked his own trend of never "liking" other people's tweets and gave some love to a post about how "Insecure" characters Issa and Molly (Yvonne Orji) left things at the end of the show. It remains his sole like on Twitter, ever, according to People. The post came from user @shiningheaux, who shared a GIF alongside, "This is how I wanted tonight's episode of insecure to end…Damn Molly." The like left fans of "Insecure" — and its mostly black cast — scratching their heads, given the president's opposition to much of what's happening with the current wave of protests against police brutality aimed largely towards African Americans. "Donald Trump likes Insecure," one user marveled. "We are in the f—ing upside down." Another seemed to reference the protests and pandemic, tweeting, "please don't tell me that in the midst of all of this trump is watching insecure……." When a user tagged Issa, who created the show, in a screenshot showing Trump had just liked a post about it, she seemed baffled, replying, "what the f— is this." According to People, aides are "known" to have access to Trump's Twitter, so the like could have been an accident.

Rihanna, Ariana Grande join music industry push to repeal NY police statute

Ariana Grande, Rihanna, Billie Eilish and hundreds of other music industry professionals signed an open letter on Monday demanding that New York state repeal a law that keeps police officers' disciplinary records out of public view, according to Rolling Stone. "We mourn the killing of George Floyd and the unnecessary loss of so many black lives before his," the letter begins. "We must hold accountable those who violate the oath to protect and serve, and find justice for those who are victim to their violence. An indispensable step is having access to disciplinary records of law enforcement officers. New York statute 50-A blocks that full transparency, shielding a history of police misconduct from public scrutiny, making it harder to seek justice and bring about reform. It must be repealed immediately." Promoting the push on Twitter Monday, Ariana urged her fellow New Yorkers to "please support the repeal of 50 A, a new york law that blocks crucial information in the search for law enforcement accountability," sending them to link where followers could join her in demanding the repeal of the statute.

Kylie Jenner's Kylie Cosmetics releases company's diversity demographics

Kylie Jenner's Kylie Cosmetics joined many of the world's largest beauty brands this week in going public with their company's diversity demographics. The Pull Up for Change initiative was created by Uoma Beauty's black female founder Sharon Chuter, and as Kylie and her team told Instagram followers on Monday, "Kylie Cosmetics is here for Pull Up for Change, for our team, and for the Black community." The statement went on to say Kylie Cosmetics and Kylie Skin "are proud of the diversity within our company, with a team of Black, White, Asian, Native American, Hispanic and Middle Eastern women." The breakdown is as follows, according to the post: "13 percent of the team are Black, 47 percent of the team are BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color), 53 percent of the team are white and 100 percent of the team are women-identifying." Kylie and her staff closed by committing "to a continued focus on ethnic diversity in the workplace and the recruitment of black employees," going forward. Responses to the post were mostly positive, with some users requesting that the company throw its weight behind more black "content creators" and influencers, according to People.

Beyonce delivers powerful commencement speech at the Obamas' star-stuffed virtual graduation

Lizzo performed a flute homage. Katy Perry showed off a bump update. And Beyonce credited graduates of the class of 2020 with helping to change the world in recent weeks. Those were just some of the highlights from Barack and Michelle Obama's YouTube "Dear Class of 2020" virtual graduation ceremony over the weekend. But for lots of folks on social media, it was Beyonce whose words kept resonating long after the event ended. The singer opened by thanking high school and college grads "for using your collective voice and letting the worlds know that black lives matter," according to Pitchfork. "The killings of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and so many others have left us all broken," she continued. It has left the entire country searching for answers. We've seen that our collective hearts, when put to positive action, could start the wheels of change. Real change has started with you, this new generation of high school and college graduates who we celebrate today." Bey also shared her own path as an artist in an industry she warned is "still very sexist" and "very male-dominated, recalling how she "did not see enough female role models given the opportunity to what I knew I had to do." She went on to explain: "To run my label and management company, to direct my films and produce my tours, that meant ownership — owning my masters, owning my art, owning my future and writing my own story. Not enough black women had a seat at the table. So I had to go and chop down that wood and build my own table. Then I had to invite the best there was to have a seat. That meant hiring women, men outsiders, underdogs, people that were overlooked and waiting to be seen."

Prince Harry's aunt Sophie, Countess of Wessex, opens up about Harry and Duchess Meghan's transition

In the wake of Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan's exit from their senior positions in the royal family, the couple's royal relatives have said little about their departure, other than Queen Elizabeth II. Over the weekend, however, Harry's aunt, Sophie, the Countess of Wessex, opened up a bit to The Sunday Times, recalling that she did her best to help Meghan adjust to her new life when she married Harry. Sophie, 55, is married to Prince Edward. According to ET, she came from a middle class background and was working for a public relations company when she got involved with Edward. She had trouble ducking the outsider-y reputation her upbringing gave her in the British press, which frequently cast her in a negative light, not unlike the attention British tabs gave Meghan, who went on to file suit against them. Photos of the royals at various public engagements have often shown Sophie sitting near Meghan, indicating the two developed a friendship. "We all try to help any new member of the family," Sophie told the Times. "I just hope they will be happy," she added. The Countess also reminded readers that she'd "had five years to adjust" to royal life before she married Edward. She even stayed at Buckingham palace during the couple's six months-long engagement. "Not that you necessarily know how it will pan out," she admitted. Meghan and Harry are currently living in the Los Angeles area with their son, Archie. While they've continued to work on some charity projects with William and Duchess Kate, they're now in the process of launching their own philanthropic organization.

Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss reveal what inspired their decisions to take on 'The Matrix 4'

Nearly 20 years after the last installment of "The Matrix" in 2003, Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss are set to revisit their characters, Neo and Trilogy, in "The Matrix 4." "I never thought that it would happen. It was never on my radar at all," Carrie-Anne recently admitted to Empire magazine. But for both Carrie-Anne and Keanu, it was Lana Wachowski's script, which she co-wrote with along David Mitchell ("Cloud Atlas") and Aleksandar Hemon, that made his decision to return a definite green light. "When it was brought to me in the way that it was brought to me, with incredible depth and all of the integrity and artistry that you could imagine, I was like, 'This is a gift.' It was just very exciting," Carrie-Anne enthused. Keanu agreed. "Lana Wachowski wrote a beautiful script and a wonderful story that resonated with me," he said. "That's the only reason to do it. To work with her again is just amazing. It's been really special, and the story has, I think, some meaningful things to say, and that we can take some nourishment from." "The Matrix 4" is due out May 21, 2021.

Terry Crews responds to backlash over viral tweet

Terry Crews spoke out on Twitter on Sunday about the importance of white people working alongside black people in the ongoing fight for changes to systemic racism in America. But his message ended up being overshadowed by his use of the phrase, "Black supremacy," which many challenged cannot exist to begin with. The viral tweet read: "Defeating White supremacy without White people creates Black supremacy. Equality is the truth. Like it or not, we are all in this together." Among those who hit back at the post was Tyler James Williams, a colleague of Terry's on "Everybody Hates Chris." "Our people are tired of white people who put on a good face a claim they 'arnt racist' [sic] while operating and benefiting from the privilege of a clearly racist system," Tyler wrote at one point in the long thread (via JustJared). "We're not trying to do this alone. We KNOW we can't. But we refuse to have allies who won't go the distance." Terry posted multiple replies trying to explain his meaning. "I understand, Tyler. I was not saying Black supremacy exists, because it doesn't," the "America's Got Talent" host wrote. "I am saying if both Black and Whites don't continue to work together– bad attitudes and resentments can create a dangerous self-righteousness. That's all."

Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez get some protest help from J.Lo's twins

Jennifer Lopez and her fiance Alex Rodriguez hit the streets of Los Angeles on Sunday to stand up for the Black Lives Matter movement as protests against racial injustice and police brutality continued around the world. And while J.Lo's 12-year-old twins didn't join their mom on the front lines of the demonstration, they were there in spirit — and artwork. Photos from the protest showed Jennifer and Alex carrying black-on-white signs that read, "BLM #EnoughIsEnough" and "LET'S GET LOUD FOR BLACK LIVES MATTER." Turns out the signs were crafted at home by the twins. "Today I had Emme and Max make me and Alex a sign for the protest," Jennifer explained on Instagram after the march. "Max told me a few days ago: 'you know mom, since you have a following like some of my YouTuber gamers and they ask us to support things and we do, you should do that for George Floyd,'" she continued. "I said, 'funny you say that baby, I am planning a few things. Do you want to help by making a sign?' And they did!! 🖤🖤🖤." She also shared highlights from the discussion she had with her children about the protests. "We talked about how if one person doesn't have justice then no one does," she wrote. "That this country was built on the belief of freedom and justice for all. We must take a stand for what we believe in and fight against the injustices in this world. So we continue to peacefully protest until there is change."

BTS fans reportedly doubled the group's $1M donation to Black Lives Matter and affiliated organizations

Two major donations to racial justice causes came out of the entertainment world over the weekend — Jennifer Aniston reportedly donated $1 million to Color of Change, while K-Pop group BTS and their record label donated $1 million directly to Black Lives Matter. Less than 48 hours after Variety reported BTS' donation, BTS fans announced they'd matched that $1 million, with donations going not only to Black Lives Matter but also to more than a dozen more civil rights groups, according to the New York Times. The outlet reports fan group One in an Army was already working to support causes related to racial justice after BTS spoke out about their support for those protesting the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man who was killed in Minneapolis last month after a white police office knelt on his neck. A rep for the fan group said donations picked up following the BTS donation, thanks in part to fans' use of a #MatchAMillion hashtag. "We encourage Army to continue educating themselves on the history of anti-black racism in the United States as well as anti-black racism that occurs in your own country," the group said in a statement. Speaking to Variety, Black Lives Matter's managing director Kailee Scales applauded the efforts of the band and its fans, saying her team was, "moved by the generosity of BTS and allies all over the world who stand in solidarity in the fight for Black lives."