Warning: This article contains discussion of drug addiction which some readers may find distressing.
Demi Lovato has opened up about their struggles around addiction since leaving their Camp Rock days behind.
Demi, who prefers the pronouns she/they, has been in the limelight since the early 2000s after appearing in Barney & Friends alongside Selena Gomez.
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The actor and pop singer, now 32, was quickly catapulted into stardom and worked on various projects during their younger years.
However, behind closed doors they had been struggling with addiction and was involved in an incident with one of their dancers on tour in 2010.
It was during a time where Demi admitted they were being worked ‘back to back to back’.
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The singer claimed they had been sleep deprived and taking substances to cope with their deteriorating mental health issues while in South America.
However, the cycle of working too much and turning to unhealthy habits seemingly led them to be forced into rehab.
While many people might have thought it was their choice to go, and that perhaps it was the moment they realised they needed help - it seems that was not the case.
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On Child Star, a new Hulu documentary that 'explores the highs and lows of growing up in the spotlight through the lens of some of the world's most well-known former child stars', Demi explained: "I had punched my backup dancer while on tour in South America. I got kicked off the tour basically.
"And I'm on my way home, and we have a layover in Dallas, and I'm like, 'When do we land in L.A.?' It turns out that they had set up for me to go to treatment in a suburb in Chicago.
"It wasn't like a situation where it was like I came to the conclusion that I needed help. It was like, 'I'm getting punished, this is the end of my career, what did I just do?' And I felt so hopeless."
However, their tumultuous time didn’t end after rehab and they had a near-death experience in 2018.
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Their overdose resulted in three strokes, a heart attack, brain damage, and vision loss. Demi was subsequently rushed into hospital where they remained in critical condition.
To this day they're not sure how they survived.
But because of their struggles, Demi wants to change the outcome for other young child stars who could be at risk of being over-worked and exposed to things that they shouldn’t be.
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In the doc, Demi went on to explore a new legislation that could help protect kids from mistreatment and exploitation on social media.
Sitting down with a group of children who want to be actors, Demi encouraged them to make sure their own health is prioritised over their projects.
They said: "Obviously you wanna make a great film, TV show or commercial, but what matters is your well-being and the other things in your life, like family and friends. That's what really matters."
If you want friendly, confidential advice about drugs, you can talk to FRANK. You can call 0300 123 6600, text 82111 or contact through their website 24/7, or livechat from 2pm-6pm any day of the week.
If you're experiencing distressing thoughts and feelings, the Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) is there to support you. They're open from 5pm–midnight, 365 days a year. Their national number is 0800 58 58 58 and they also have a webchat service if you're not comfortable talking on the phone.
Topics: Celebrity, Documentaries, TV And Film, Mental Health
Britt Jones