Pete Davidson and John Mulaney made it clear during a live podcast taping in Los Angeles on May 10 that fatherhood to their young daughters is nothing short of a joy — and a Polish academic study suggests those little girls may be adding years to their fathers’ lives without either comedian even realizing it.
The two comedians were candid and enthusiastic when the subject of their daughters came up at the Wiltern Theater event centered on Davidson’s podcast. According to People, both Davidson and Mulaney described the experience of raising girls as “awesome,” with the pair agreeing that fatherhood to their daughters is “so much fun.”
The timing of their conversation coincides with a wave of renewed attention to a striking piece of science. A study published in the academic literature and indexed on PubMed examining how children affect the longevity of both mothers and fathers in a Polish rural population found that each daughter a man has is associated with an average increase of 74 weeks in his lifespan. Sons, by contrast, showed no statistically significant effect on their fathers’ longevity.
The biological framing behind the research centers on reproductive energy costs. Because pregnancy and breastfeeding place far greater physical demands on women than on men, the study reasoned that mothers would bear the heavier longevity burden from having children, and the data confirmed it. For mothers, both daughters and sons reduced lifespan by roughly 95 weeks each, regardless of the child’s sex. For fathers, only daughters moved the needle, and they moved it in a positive direction.
Why Daughters May Help Dads Live Longer
The study itself does not pin down a single cause, but public reaction to its findings has been spirited. When the findings on fathers with daughters and extended life expectancy circulated widely, commenters on Yahoo were quick to offer their own theories. One reader who identified as a healthcare professional wrote, “I’m a nurse. Female adult children do WAY BETTER caring for their elder parents than their male counterparts!” Others pointed to the idea that daughters tend to check in on their fathers more consistently as both parties age.
Beyond eldercare, the research also noted a behavioral dimension: fathers raising daughters appear to adopt lower-risk habits and prioritize their daughters’ well-being in ways that can compound into meaningful health gains over the course of a lifetime.
Davidson and Mulaney: Two Comedians Navigating Girl Dad Territory
For Davidson and Mulaney, science is probably the last thing on their minds when they talk about their kids. Both men have spoken publicly about how much their daughters mean to them, and their podcast conversation reflected genuine warmth rather than any calculated parenting philosophy. The exchange resonated with audiences precisely because it felt unscripted — two friends comparing notes on one of life’s most rewarding and disorienting experiences.
Mulaney, who welcomed a son named Malcolm with actress Olivia Munn before the couple later had a daughter, and Davidson, who became a father more recently, represent a generation of celebrity dads who are increasingly vocal about the emotional texture of raising children. Their willingness to talk openly about parenting, not just the highlight reel moments but the genuine day-to-day wonder of it, reflects a broader cultural shift in how fathers engage with and discuss their roles at home.
Why This Matters for Parents
The longevity research is a reminder that the parent-child relationship is not a one-way street. Children shape their parents in ways that go far beyond the emotional. For fathers especially, the data suggests that the presence of daughters in their lives may encourage the kind of sustained, health-conscious behavior that adds up over time.
Whether that comes through more regular doctor visits, reduced risk-taking, or simply having someone who will call to check in on a Tuesday afternoon, the effect appears to be real and measurable.
For any parent raising a daughter right now, celebrity or otherwise, that is genuinely heartening news to carry into the years ahead.
