Pete Davidson Predicts Public Backlash Against Walton Goggins

Saturday Night Live alum Pete Davidson made a bold prediction about Walton Goggins’ popularity after starring on The White Lotus, and compared the situation to The Last of Us star Pedro Pascal. Goggins has been a mainstay on the small screen for several years after appearing on hit shows like The Shield and Justified.

More recently, Goggins’ popularity skyrocketed after starring on Fallout and The White Lotus. He earned Emmy nominations for both shows in 2024 and 2025, respectively, but lost to Shōgun‘s Hiroyuki Sanada and Severance‘s Tramell Tillman.

During an interview on the podcast This Past Weekend with Theo Von, Davidson commented on the fact that the public very easily tears celebrities down after building them up.

The SNL alum and actor used Pascal as an example of someone who’s starting to face backlash after becoming very popular. He said, “He’s in everything now ’cause he’s hot and big and everyone’s like, ‘Go the f*** away, dude.’“

Davidson claimed that the public needs to give celebrities time to adjust to their newfound popularity because it can be very jarring to suddenly have that much attention on yourself.

While on Von’s podcast, Davidson then predicted that the White Lotus star would face the same type of backlash as Pascal. “They’re gonna do it with Walton Goggins. [He] will be next,” the comedian said.

Look at Pedro Pascal right now. F***ing two years ago he’s a hardworking, great actor…He’s worked so hard and has been a struggling actor, [then] f***ing blows up so f***ing hard, everyone’s like, ‘Daddy, daddy! Yeah, daddy, daddy.’ And then a year later, he’s, like, in everything now ’cause he’s hot and big and everyone’s like, ‘Go the f*** away, dude.’

You got to give someone time to adjust to that new level of fame. He’s been banging at it for 30 years, and now he’s learning how to go get a cup of coffee or deal with someone that taps you on the shoulder while you have your earbuds in and freaks you out. You got to give that guy a f***ing second to, like, adjust.

They’re gonna do it with Walton Goggins, [he] will be next. It’s like, we build everybody up and now it’s so fast to turn. It’s within months.

Goggins heard Davidson’s comments about him and responded on Instagram. The White Lotus star appreciated Davidson looking out for him. He acknowledged that “every experience has a shelf life,” which he’s all too aware of at 53 years old.

When Goggins saw a headline about Davidson’s prediction, he didn’t think of it as a curse or feel disappointed; instead, the actor called it a “blessing.”

As someone who has experienced a lot of success in the entertainment industry, Goggins considers himself lucky that losing his popularity is even a possibility as someone who grew up as a poor child in Georgia.

If Davidson’s prediction comes to fruition, then Goggins is “going to enjoy the F*** OUT OF IT.”

What Pete Davidson’s Prediction Means For Walton Goggins

Davidson used Pascal as an example of a celebrity whose popularity skyrocketed in such a short amount of time. He first tasted fame after appearing on Game of Thrones. That wasn’t as large of a role as some of the main cast members had, but it put him on the map.

Pascal then built up an impressive resume, with movies like Kingsman: The Golden Circle, The Equalizer 2, Wonder Woman 1984 and Gladiator II, and shows like Narcos.

Late 2019 saw Pascal’s celebrity status reaching a peak he had never experienced before. Star Wars‘ first live-action series The Mandalorian featured Pascal in the leading role, and he followed that up with The Last of Us, a hugely popular post-apocalyptic series based on a video game. More recently, he played Reed Richards in The Fantastic Four: First Steps.

It’s not a stretch to say that Pascal is one of the most popular celebrities around right now. With huge fame also comes more critics posting negative comments on social media, even when the criticism isn’t warranted.

It’s possible that a backlash against Goggins will come, like Davidson predicted. To his credit, though, Goggins is taking his fame in stride and doesn’t seem to care what level of popularity he has.

Our Take On Pete Davidson Predicting Walton Goggins Backlash

Walton Goggins as The Ghoul nodding with his hat in Fallout season 2

Goggins delivered a great reaction to Davidson’s prediction. In his extensive Instagram caption, it’s clear that the actor is enjoying the ride and feels incredibly grateful for the support he’s gained over the years. At the end of the day, that humbleness should endear Goggins to even more fans.

Whether the public starts turning on The White Lotus star or not is beside the point because, no matter what happens, he’s just going to keep doing what he does best. With several award nominations and wins under his belt, the work speaks for itself.