Ariana Grande calls fiancé Pete Davidson's Manchester bombing joke 'unfortunate'

Ariana Grande says fiancé Pete Davidson's months-old joke that referenced a fatal bombing at her 2017 Manchester, England, concert is "unfortunate" and not funny.

Twenty-two people died and many more were injured as a result of a suicide bombing that took place as fans were leaving Grande's concert on May 22, 2017. Grande followed up with a benefit concert to help victims and their families.

Davidson's joke, made at a benefit event last fall, resurfaced recently. According to People, Davidson cited the bombing in reference to Grande's growing fame: "Britney Spears didn't have a terrorist attack at her concert."

In a heartfelt Twitter response Thursday to a fan asking why she remains with the "Saturday Night Live" star in light of his joke, Grande called the joke "unfortunate," but added that Davidson uses comedy to make people feel better and is never malicious.

After @ariisalegend couldn't understand why "she is still with Pete" after his "rude" joke, Grande replied: "This has been v tough & conflicting on my heart. he uses comedy to help ppl feel better ab how f-ed up things in this world are. we all deal w trauma differently. I of course didn’t find it funny. it was months ago & his intention wasn’t/ is never malicious but it was unfortunate."

Davidson, who joined "SNL" in 2014, lost his father, a firefighter, in the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in New York. The comedian is known for including his father's death and 9/11 in his standup act as a way of coping, as he does in a NSFW Comedy Central clip from "SMD — Coping with a Family Tragedy." His father's name was Scott Michael Davidson.

Davidson confirmed reports of the couple's engagement in a June appearance on NBC's "The Tonight Show," about a month after he confirmed on Instagram that he and Grande were dating.