Did Pete Davidson Bail on Matt Rife Show at the Last Minute?

It was the biggest night of Matt Rife’s comedy career (at least according to Page Six) and Pete Davidson was going to be a part of it. At least until he wasn’t. Just two hours before Davidson was going to be the surprise warm-up act for Rife’s opening night gig at Radio City Music Hall in New York, the former Saturday Night Live star allegedly ditched his comedy pal.

That left the Rife squad scrambling for a backup plan. Page Six’s sources at Radio City say a new opening comic wasn’t secured until minutes before the show. John Campanelli, another comedian who has toured with Rife, made it in time to fill in for the missing Davidson.

But wait! Hold on, says Rife — that’s not what happened at all! 

“People just make up anything,” Rife tweeted. “My boy Pete was maybe going to pop-in to one of my Radio City shows and just wasn’t able to, so i simply asked another friend in the city to jump on… how is that news? This is why you should never believe a single article you ever read online, ever. You don’t know anything and people lie.” 

I don’t know anything, true, but not sure where the lie is here — Rife admits Davidson was going to do a show, then he didn’t, leaving Rife to find a replacement to “jump on.” And unfortunately, it isn’t unusual for Davidson to bail on a scheduled gig these days. The comic canceled a dozen shows in late 2023 and early 2024 due to “unforeseen circumstances,” according to Deadline. Just like with the Rife gig, Davidson has no public explanation for pulling the plug (not that he owes us one) — and just like with Rife, some got very little notice.

The Davidson scramble was just one of the dramas percolating at Rife’s NYC string of shows. There was also the ruckus caused by former porn star Lisa Ann being led out of a show in handcuffs, allegedly for using her phone but possibly to promote a joint venture between the two controversy magnets. That was good for a news cycle’s worth of WTFs, with Lisa Ann none the worse for wear. After airing her grievances…

…Lisa Ann was right back to promoting her podcasts, autobiography, and the Lisa Ann Wine collection. Get your autographs at Exxxotica 2024! 

None of this whirlwind of weirdness stopped Rife from celebrating his first Radio City appearance. He’s threatening Madison Square Garden next so we can look forward to more attention-getting antics in the Big Apple.