Who is Pete Davidson and why is everyone worried about him?

Who is Pete Davidson and why is everyone worried about him? originally appeared on abcnews.go.com

“Saturday Night Live” cast member Pete Davidson stunned and frightened friends and his social media followers with a disturbing post about his mental health on Saturday, which proved alarming enough to draw both his ex-fiancee, singer Ariana Grande, and New York police to NBC headquarters at 30 Rockefeller Center in Manhattan, which houses the late night comedy institution.

“i really don’t want to be on this earth anymore," Davidson posted on Instagram on Saturday afternoon. "i’m doing my best to stay here for you but I actually don’t know how much longer I can last,” the “SNL” comedian said on Instagram. "all I ever tried to do was help people. just remember I told you so.”

His account was shut down by Saturday evening, but not before Grande apparently showed up at 30 Rock in a panic.

"I'm downstairs and I'm not going anywhere if you need anyone or anything. I know u have everyone u need and that's not me, but i'm here too," Grande tweeted in a post that was later deleted.

A New York Police Department (NYPD) officer also made a visit to NBC headquarters in midtown Manhattan, according to an NYPD spokesperson, who confirmed to ABC News that the officer did what is known as a "wellness check" on the comedian at his workplace, and that they "made contact."

Davidson proved to be safe and sound and working on Saturday night’s live show. But the scare has drawn new attention to a young breakout star who has found himself in the spotlight this year like never before.

He did not appear in any sketches on the Dec. 16 episode, but he did introduce music guest Miley Cyrus' second performance of the night. He also appeared in a pre-taped sketch about the Oscars looking for a new host.

The 6-foot-2 beanpole comic has long been open and unguarded about his personal struggles, often turning them into great, if at times awkward, comedy.

Since a childhood tragedy that he has said in interviews shattered his world and nearly broke him, Davidson has survived depression, addictions, sobriety and the dizzying ascent of his public profile this year when he became engaged to Grande, a pop powerhouse with a global following.

He has said that he has been plagued by mental health issues stretching back to his childhood, when, he has said, he pulled out so much of his hair that he was briefly bald.

For Davidson, “SNL”'s youngest-ever cast member, who joined the cast four years ago, 2018 has been a year full of challenges -- both personal and professional.

'The biggest crush in the whole world'

He began dating Grande in the spring and the couple were engaged by June. That month, Grande released her new album, "Sweetener," which included a song called "Pete."

That short-lived affair didn’t survive 2018, but it played out in spectacularly public fashion –- with Grande issuing adorable social media posts about him and Davidson making light of the unlikely partnership in appearances on “SNL.”

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