Pete Davidson Says He Was 'So High on Ketamine' at Aretha Franklin’s Funeral in 2018

On Tuesday, Comedian Pete Davidson's standup comedy show Pete Davidson: Turbo Fonzarelli was released. During the stand-up comedy, Davidson opened up about his struggle with the substances. In one part of his monologue, he even confessed to being very high on ketamine while attending Aretha Franklin's funeral in 2018. 

Pete said, "It’s embarrassing when you’re not on ketamine anymore, though, I was embarrassed. I was out and about like that. That’s not cool, you know? 'I was at funerals like that. That’s f**ked up. I was at Aretha Franklin’s funeral like that. Yeah, I have to live with that. You know what I mean? She’ll never know, but still, that’s not the point. You know what I mean? If she were there, she would probably be like, 'Hey, who are you? And what the f**k are you doing at my funeral?' It’s embarrassing. I’m so high, I thought it would be a good idea to go up to her family and go, 'Hey, I’m just here to pay my R-E-S-P-E-C-T…S.'"

Ariana Grande, his fiancée at the time, also attended the funeral. Singing (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman, Ariana performed at the ceremony. Davidson went to rehab on many occasions, most notably in 2017 and 2019, the years before and after his attendance at Aretha's funeral. He also checked himself into a treatment center in June 2023, allegedly for assistance with post-traumatic stress disorder and borderline personality disorder. Many people have a bad opinion of ketamine since it is often misused as a party drug and has even earned the moniker "Special K." After actor Matthew Perry passed away in recent months, the substance has gained widespread attention. The Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner said that the Friends actor passed away as a result of the "acute effects" of the medication. It was claimed that the celebrity was having ketamine infusion therapy as a treatment for anxiety and depression.

Ketamine enters the bloodstream rapidly when snorted, and the consequences of intoxication take hold fast after. Despite being an anesthetic, it causes heart palpitations at little dosages. Additionally, it has been linked to impairments in speech and executive function that occur during intoxication. it has the potential to cause minor psychedelic effects, such as altered perception, and psychotic-like experiences, which some users find interesting but may sometimes be unsettling. As reported by The Guardian, when used with other drugs, ketamine has the potential to become more hazardous. Ketamine increases the risk of passing out or halting breathing when used with depressants like alcohol or opiates because of its anesthetic properties. Because it works so well as an anesthetic in places without access to ventilation equipment, ketamine is included in the World Health Organization's list of essential medications. It doesn't affect breathing rates as much as other anesthetics due to its mild psychedelic effects, it's not the best anesthetic overall, but it comes in very handy when working in remote areas or in situations where access to such equipment is difficult.