Pete Davidson’s painful 9/11 history led to an unexpected friendship with former NFL star Michael Strahan. Their connection began in the aftermath of September 11, 2001, when Davidson’s firefighter father died while helping evacuate people from the Twin Towers.
Years later, their paths crossed again at Good Morning America. That reunion strengthened a bond that eventually became important to Davidson’s decision to revisit 9/11 publicly.
Pete Davidson first met Michael Strahan after losing his firefighter father in the 9/11 attacks
Strahan experienced the attacks from his home in Montclair, New Jersey. The former New York Giants defensive end had returned from Denver after a Monday Night Football game. He received a call telling him to look outside toward the New York skyline. “the skyline changed forever,” Strahan told PEOPLE.
The days afterward brought fear and confusion for Strahan and his teammates. “We were lost,” he recalled. “We were scared; We were so out of our element because we had never seen anything like that.”
Football eventually gave New York residents a brief distraction. Strahan believed that mattered for the players, too.
“For us, the only thing we could do was to give people something they could be distracted by on a Sunday afternoon,” he explained. “That was the only small contribution we could make — but at the same time, we felt like it was an important one.”
Twenty-five years later, Strahan revisited that period through ABC’s 9/11: United We Stand – 25 Years Later. The documentary combines archival footage with stories from figures in sports, music, theater and comedy.
“It’s a very unique time in the history of our country where we all came together,” Strahan said. He added, “I think it’s just a great reminder of what we can do if we decide to come together.”
A screening at the 9/11 Memorial & Museum also left Strahan emotional. “To see people wiping their eyes, to hear people laugh, to see smiles, to see sadness,” he said.
Davidson became part of that story through a connection that started in 2001, when children of fallen first responders met Giants players. Davidson and Strahan later reunited backstage at Good Morning America in 2018.
By then, Davidson had joined Saturday Night Live, while their friendship had continued. “He’s like a little brother to me,” Strahan told PEOPLE. He said they developed a “very unique relationship.”
That trust convinced Davidson to join the documentary despite declining other 9/11 projects. “But he told me, ‘I trust you, though,’” Strahan recalled.
The documentary premiered on ABC on September 1 and is streaming on Disney+ and Hulu.
