As we discussed this weekend, Kate Beckinsale and Pete Davidson are happening. It upsets me. Kate, 45, and Pete, 25, were first linked together just after the Golden Globes, when they were apparently getting flirty together at a post-Globes party, and perhaps left the party together. I hoped, at the time, that it was just a one-night thing. It was not. They’re, like, a couple now. There’s still a lot of wtfery around this pairing, but People Magazine’s sources insist that Kate is all about younger guys these days because they make her feel “good about herself.” Oh honey.
Girls just wanna have fun — and nobody knows that better than Kate Beckinsale! On Friday, the 45-year-old actress supported Pete Davidson at his stand-up comedy show in Los Angeles. Though the pair left the venue hand-in-hand and headed back to Davidson’s Santa Monica hotel together, a source close to Beckinsale says her relationship with the Saturday Night Live star, 25, is not likely to go any further — due in part to her failed marriage with Len Wiseman.
“Kate’s not looking to get serious with someone. She was really hurt after her marriage with Len ended,” the source told PEOPLE. “She wants to have fun with guys and date around. She loves the attention from the younger men she dates.”
“It makes her feel good about herself too,” the insider added. “She doesn’t care what people think.”
Davidson is not the first younger man to catch Beckinsale’s attention in the wake of her divorce with Wiseman. Over the summer, the actress was linked to 23-year-old comedian and actor Matt Rife. The duo eventually called it quits after two months of dating. Then in November 2018, Beckinsale started dating 30-year-old British actor and comedian Jack Whitehall. The pair, who have a 15-year age gap, were spotted showing some PDA at a karaoke bar in Los Angeles, partying and kissing at a candle-lit booth.
If she’s set limits for herself and she doesn’t want to get pulled into anything serious – or, one would hope, pulled into the incessant drama of 20-something dating – then so be it and good for her. My issue was always with the idea that Pete and Kate could be wrapping this up as a love match, and I would never be able to get on-board for that. To be clear, I appreciate that Pete has been open about his issues and about seeking help. I just think that he has too many very real issues for a woman close to my age to be like “hey, check out my hot young stud!” There are so many younger guys who have fewer complications. I’m not saying Pete is unworthy of love at all, but I definitely feel like he might benefit more from some in-depth therapy as opposed to a pap-friendly relationship with a cougar.
Photos courtesy of Backgrid.
This is just really sad. Pete needs a stable woman who is very grounded and secure. He has so many issues and he needs someone who can help him to deal with them rather than a woman who clearly has her own issues. I feel bad for Kate too but I feel like she should know better. If she knows she goes for younger guys to make herself feel better, why couple up with one who is so utterly messed up? It just seems selfish.
I hate when people say someone “needs” a stable woman. Like, no he needs therapy and treatment. Sorry to be snappy, I get what you are saying, but I think that same mentality causes people to blame others, especially women, for men’s addictions or issues.
I get your point. That’s not what I meant at all but I get how it comes across like that. Everyone has issues to some extent but some are more in control of their lives and better able to make positive choices than others. It’s not a woman’s job to fix a man. He does need therapy but at the same time, he is worthy of a loving relationship too. It seems as though in this situation Kate is with him because it makes her feel good but she isn’t considering the impact it is likely to have on him if/when it comes crashing down. She seems like the wiser, less ‘damaged’ one here
Agreed Bebe. Also, like attracts like. A super stable and grounded woman wouldn’t date Pete so…
women aren’t responsible for a man’s mental health and to keep them stable and secure. he is an adult man. he should take personal responsibility to be well. it takes two to tango and i really doubt he was like “oh no no no, i’m not ready for this” and she forced herself on him. he seems thrilled to be doing the pap walk with her.
When you are struggling with mental illness and are looking to get better, there comes a point where you realize that you are the only one that can change you. A healthy relationship can point you in the right direction but you need to do the work yourself, not dump the responsibility on someone else.
Again, I guess if it suits her ego to date men young enough to be her child, that’s her right but I still side eye that dynamic and this relationship in particular.
I think this is more about the balance of power than it is about having fun with a younger guy. And the thing is, it doesn’t even look like she’s enjoying it. He looks gleeful and she’s trying to cover her face in every picture. That doesn’t look like someone who is having fun.
My issue with it isn’t the age gap between them (although the barely there age difference between Pete and her daughter is a little awkward), but the health factor. I think Pete should avoid dating very famous women for at least a little while- both for his sake and for hers. Plus it seems like people are already prepared to blame any struggles with his mental health on the next woman he dates.
She knows what she’s getting into, he literally has a warning sign tattooed on him in plain sight.
I know this is unkind, but I just don’t see anything attractive about him. Even his humor is skeevy at times…joking about switching birth control with tic tacs (to make someone stay with him). Yikes.
I agree. This pairing seems bizarre to me.
Don’t get me wrong. They are both grown up people not married to other people or caught cheating here. Looking at Kate recently it is clear she is going though some kind of midlife crisis. Men go through it, women go through it. so yeah, I have no problem believing she is not looking for a long term partnership here.
I also detest this narrative that she may be “good for him” as though she has some culpability when it comes to his mental health.
This looks like a disaster in the making, JMO.
Can’t stand the whole “maybe she’ll be good for him” rhetoric. Don’t like the subtext that women need to constantly support a man’s improvement (anchoring them, inspiring them, healing them, etc.). It’s very objectifying! We aren’t supporting characters in Men: The Movie.
The people mag source makes her looks worse lol. Hope he doesn’t get attached and then blame her for all of his problems.
Even if he doesn’t do the blaming himself, hopefully other people inside or outside of Hollywood don’t decide to do the blaming for him. Kate is much older instead of just a few months older, so even though in this case the onus is on her to be more mature, she also hasn’t been without her own mental health struggles (a nervous breakdown, anorexia). Mental health issues seem to usually only absolve or shield one sex when it comes to famous people.
I’m all for her having fun – she looks amazing, she’s single, and her daughter is grown up, good for her if she wants to go out and date and have a good time.
But I don’t see Pete as the right person to do that with. His last fling turned into a rushed engagement, a lot of stunting for attention, and ended very badly. He needs to focus on his health and well being.
Well his last highly publicized relationship ended so well….. No shade on Pete though, I think he is very unwell and I don’t think he is able to make good choices at this point in his life. Kate needs to step up and be the adult here.
Pete has had so many public issues lately. Why would she ever want to get involved with someone like that?
She dates younger guys because it makes her feel good about herself? That’s kinda sad. Sounds like they both need therapy.
Well I never for a second thought she was in it for more than 1)the publicity and 2)maybe for his large endowment, anyway. Duh.
They both sound needy in different ways and this is only going to be destructive.
She dated Jack Whitehall? Too bad it didn’t work out. She could’ve been Winston’s sister-in-law. lol
(If you haven’t seen Whitehall’s Travels with My Father on Netflix, check it out. It’s hilarious.)
I’m young-ish, but for the other readers of this site I bet I’m on the older end? No idea, but either way I don’t remember an SNL cast member talking about their love lives on the show like pete has. Correct me if I’m wrong-have older seasons of the show had a cast member talk about their personal relationships on air like he has? Clearly the producers, NBC are ok with it or they wouldn’t let it happen. Scarlett Johansson is incredibly famous but her BF is on SNL and just mentions he has a GF but no details no jokes, nothing. I’m surprised SNL Is ok with this as his personal life seems to be taking precedent over comedy. I’m not saying loren Michaels isn’t above publicity stunts, he calls in his famous friends to be on the show when ratings re down but that still is about comedy, it’s not changing the subject to talk about personal lives.
I think you’re right. I can’t recall anyone doing that. Pete wasn’t well known before Ariana then became famous overnight because of her. The whole Pete update thing was very his sense of self deprecating humor.
But if it’s not serious, why don’t they hook up on the down-low? this looks like a very public rollout of a relationship.
And I agree with other posters: he needs therapy and IMO rehab. Another high-profile relationship won’t fix him.
She can date as many younger guys as she’d like (good for her!), but it’s a bad idea to hook up with a guy known for becoming easily emotionally invested very early and who has a strong need for stability. He doesn’t strike me as someone who can just mess around for fun without getting personal. Given how his very public engagement just ended, not sure why Kate is doing this.
Maybe Pete is the real life embodiment of Kramer from Seinfeld. He’s *kind of* fun, not Dave Chappelle levels of funny, and yet he keeps falling bass ackwards into gigs, friendships, women and … situations. John Mulaney is telling a story about the time he took Pete to a Steely Dan concert (older audience) and even though Pete had never heard of Steely Dan, he eventually got the entire Beacon theater up on their feet and dancing, where no one wanted to dance before. Just don’t expect him to be the 2nd coming of Richard Pryor and Kate can take care of herself.
As long as she’s legit in it for fun as a temporary fling then I’m a little less skeeved. But I still hate it. And she should keep that sh!t locked down. Because *she* may be in it for the temporary fun and ego boost of having a young guy, but *he* is most definitely in it for other reasons. Like raising his profile, and being a grade-A clinger.