Fans are questioning the authenticity of Pete Davidson’s relationship with Kim Kardashian after an old clip of the American comedian and actor resurfaced online. Davidson, who was first linked to the fashion mogul in October 2021 when the pair were photographed holding hands on a roller coaster ride, is now having his intentions called out following a “suspicious” move he made in a previous interview.

First outlined by a user on Reddit’s r/KUWTK, the video features the comedian chatting with Kay Adams, host of PEOPLE (The TV Show!), in a virtual interview from his bedroom in Staten Island. In the clip, Adams addressed Davidson’s video background by saying, “I actually like the vibe of your view and the bedroom right now. Could you show us around, what do you got there, what’s on your bed?” Davidson then proceeded to describe his “giant flower pillows,” stuffed animals and open closet when Adams noticed a particular nod to his love interest on the table.

“Is that a Kardashian candle on your other shoulder? I’ve got good eyes,” Adams remarked. Davidson then turned around, spotted the candle and flushed red, stating: “Yes, it is. That is. That is exactly what that is.”

While People went on to publish an article titled, Pete Davidson Calls Kim Kardashian His ‘Girlfriend’ for the First Time Since Being Linked Last Year, eagle-eyed fans are now debating whether the candle was purposely placed in front of the camera to grab the interviewer’s attention. In fact, the clip posted to the subreddit features Davidson adjusting the candles on the table himself before the interview session even began:

Can we talk about this again please? « Pete Davidson moved the Kim Kardashian candle into view before my interview with him! » (more in comments)
by inKUWTK

“The way the candle was placed was quite suspicious, it was the first thing I saw during the interview,” a user commented. “And then he acted like he had to look/didn’t know if there was a Kardashian candle behind him… wowwww ok give me an effing break! Weirdooo,” a second noted.

Another echoed these statements by admitting, “He so obviously placed that candle in the view so the conversation would lead to his relationship with Kim. Authentic much?” Meanwhile, other fans highlighted how the stunt “[sums] up the whole Kim and Pete thing: cringy and icky.”

The mixed response from fans also links Davidson’s act to the continuing claims that it may be one of Kris Jenner’s master plans, like with Kim and Kanye’s divorce. On these terms, a user also wrote, “Yes, this is a fake relationship used for content on the new show. Kim also needed a public rebound after Kanye, and Pete has a history with PR relationships. As beautiful and famous as Kim is, a lot of famous people do not want to be publicly linked to the Kardashians and would not want to film.”

A few days before, fans were speculating if Kim’s voice had changed since she started dating Davidson. “Her valley girl voice [has] transformed into a middle-aged woman from Staten Island,” a Reddit user wrote at the time.

On Making Space with Hoda Kotb earlier this month, Kim admitted that she never actually planned on getting in a relationship with the Saturday Night Live (SNL) star. “I think that, you know, sometimes things happen when you just least expect it. It was the last thing that I was really planning on,” she said on the podcast. “And so when it did happen, we were kind of like, ‘Oh my God, I wasn’t planning on this. And this isn’t even what I was thinking of’.”