Demi Lovato Opens Up About Child Stardom, Mental Health & Resilience

I was so uncomfortable performing for the first time

in that movie on a stage.

I just did what my body wanted to do,

and I came up with a really cringey dance move.

Hi everyone.

I'm Versha Sharma, the editor in chief of Teen Vogue.

And I am so excited to be sitting here today

with Demi Lovato,

our September cover star this year.

We're gonna be talking about everything from mental health,

to Camp Rock, to Camp Rock 2,

which I now know you're very proud of.

To being in the spotlight at a young age,

the latter of which is the focus

of your upcoming documentary, Child Star on Hulu.

[light music]

Our visual editor actually went back into the archive,

and was able to pull some digital copies

of all of your former covers and cover stories

from Teen Vogue. Oh wow, okay.

So this is--

Oh yeah, with the blonde and blue hair.

I remember that.

Yes, yes, this clutch braid.

It was at this really cool house

that I've never forgotten.

There were antiques everywhere.

It was something out of a movie.

Then we have this one.

Oh my god, I remember that.

Helicopters were flying over that shoot,

trying to get a picture.

[Versha] Really?

Yeah.

[Versha] Oh, the paparazzi, they were out in force.

The paparazzi, they were out.

Tell me, how was it for you today then being back

after all of these years?

It was so fun.

I got to bring my new baby, Pickle.

[Versha] We love, yes.

[Demi] So Pickle's just hanging out with us today.

Pickle is making his Teen Vogue debut.

[Demi] Yes.

I love it. I wanna say upfront that you have been

a major mental health advocate throughout your whole career.

I'm somebody who struggles with depression

and anxiety myself,

and I appreciate your honesty and openness about it so much.

I'm on medication, I go to therapy.

I know a lot of people do,

but it's still something that it feels

like we're only just now beginning to be very open about.

So in your mental health journey,

where do you feel like things stand for you now?

Well, first of all,

I just wanna say thank you for sharing.

Not everyone chooses to share personal facts

about their life with me.

I feel like sometimes I'm the one out in the open,

shouting from the rooftops like, Hey, look at me.

I have this going on.

But I'm also on medication,

and medication is something that has worked wonders for me.

[Versha] Yeah.

Especially being bipolar.

I feel like I'm in a really great place in my life.

I have a lot of things that I have to look forward to

and that I'm excited for,

but sometimes you can have all of that going on,

and if your mental health is suffering,

it can still get to you.

So I'm just grateful that I'm in a place

where I can say that I really put in the work

with my treatment team and with myself,

and I can look forward to those things.

One of the things that you spoke about was medication

and your medication journey.

That stood out to me because this is also something

that I feel like not enough people talk about.

You have to try different treatments.

Yes.

[Versha] You have to try different types of medications.

When I first became an advocate for my mental health

and other people's mental health journey,

I realized that sometimes it takes 10 years

to get a diagnosis, the right diagnosis.

And then on top of that you gotta go through finding

the right medication for you,

which can take up to weeks, months, years at a time.

[Versha] Yeah.

And it's really challenging.

But I struggled for so many years with bipolar disorder

before I realized that's what it was.

Yeah.

Bouts of mania where I would be up until six,

seven in the morning just writing 10 songs a night.

I liked it for my creativity,

but it wasn't something that provided

a stable lifestyle for me.

Let's talk about the upcoming release

of your Hulu documentary, Child Star.

Yes.

It is your directorial debut, so congratulations.

Thank you. That's very exciting.

I've seen it.

It's powerful, it's honest.

Can you tell us a little about how it all came to be?

I had this idea floating around in my brain

for several years before I even opened my mouth

and talked about it.

What I wanted to do was make a film

about my experience as a child star,

but also other people's experiences as child stars,

and go down the history of child stardom.

What was the history with Jackie Coogan, and Shirley Temple,

and all these child stars that came before us.

Then I wanted to explore

why is it that some child stars go down a difficult path?

Why is it that some turn out totally fine and normal?

What is it like to step away from the industry?

What is it like to stay in?

And me and my co-director, Nicola Marsh,

did a really great job of putting that all in

and packing that into a film.

So you mentioned you do interview a number

of fellow child stars.

There's Keenan Thompson, Jojo Siwa, Raven Simone.

What did they say

when you first called them up with the idea?

Some people were like yes immediately, right away.

And some people were like,

Well, what is the direction of this documentary?

What kind of film are we making on child stardom?

And I think some people were a little bit more apprehensive

than others because it hasn't been

the easiest journey for everyone.

So that was totally understandable.

And once I explained to them the film

and the purpose behind it,

they got behind it and it was great.

Some of the bullying moments that you share

in the documentary from your own childhood

are really affecting.

The suicide petition is particularly disturbing.

Can you first paraphrase just what that story is briefly

for our audience?

I was bullied in the seventh grade,

and I left public school because of it.

Kids in my grade were, I think,

resentful that I was stepping into a career

at such a young age that set me up for potential fame

and fortune.

And I think that they didn't know how to handle it.

When I asked them, Why are you bullying me?

Why are you doing this?

Their reactions were,

You're fat and you're a [censor bleep].

I wasn't those things.

[Versha] Of course.

I came to realize later what it actually was,

was, oh, there was some jealousy there.

Yeah.

There was a letter that had

some really hurtful things in there,

and one of the things that it said was,

You should kill yourself.

Oh my God.

And what they did was they passed it around the school

and people signed it.

So whether they intended it to be or not,

it turned out to be a suicide petition.

It was a really dark time for me.

It threw me into a spiral and it traumatized me.

And I still deal with that today.

You've now become a major anti-bullying advocate based on

some of your own experiences.

So how does it feel to look back on that now?

I feel like I've done a lot of work around it.

I do feel like sometimes I have trust issues that surface

because of what I went through as a kid.

I think that using that platform

for good to speak up about bullying

and how it can really affect people was

the right decision for me.

I can say that it doesn't affect me the same way

that it once did.

One of the other things that stood out to me

from the documentary was how alone you felt.

And then also some of the other child stars

that you interviewed.

I think it's Christina Ricci talks

about how she felt like she didn't belong.

That stood out to me because you're beloved, right?

All of these kids and young people

around the world find connection in your art

and in your performances.

But as the performers, you felt alone.

So what was it like diving into that dichotomy?

It's easy to look at someone in the spotlight and say,

Oh, you're so loved.

[Versha] Right.

And you're so adored by so many,

why do you feel so alone?

But it's so surface,

that validation that you're receiving

is not from a meaningful connection.

It's from people that don't know you.

It felt like a mask that I had put on.

Right.

And my mask was my armor from bullies,

but it was also my brand.

And it separated me from deep and meaningful connection

with every person that came up to me and said,

I love you so much, I'm your biggest fan.

Right.

Deep down in my heart, no matter how many people said

that they loved and adored me,

no matter how many albums I sold or movies I did,

I knew that it wasn't going to fill that void.

I had a therapist tell me that the opposite of addiction

is connection.

And I firmly believe that that's true,

because meaningful connections protect you from isolation.

And I feel like I've gotten to a place in my life today

where I really value the meaningful connections

that are in my life.

And I prioritize them in my schedule

because I really value it over work now.

Whereas when I was a teenager, work was my life.

It was my everything.

Yeah, one part that also really stood out to me

is the discussion about how celebrities

or famous people may have a tendency to die by suicide

at higher rates than the general population.

What was it like for you hearing that?

There were so many times where I thought, This is it.

I can't do this anymore.

I struggle with suicidal ideations from time to time.

More so in my past than now.

I haven't dealt with one in a long time, in years in fact.

But it's something that struck a chord with me

because I've been there.

I've been that empty and been that alone.

I had to learn a lot through self-work.

I have compassion for everyone that's struggled

with that same feeling.

Definitely.

I've struggled with that too.

And as open as I have been about my mental health,

I don't think I've ever said that on camera.

So it's just another example

of how you being so open helps people, for sure.

Thank you.

Thank you, and once again, thank you for sharing.

That's really brave.

Yeah, you talk in the documentary

about the commodification

of these Disney and Nickelodeon stars.

Yourself included.

Do you remember how you felt when you first saw

your image kind of exploding in that way,

the merchandising angle of it and all of that?

It was a dream come true.

I felt so excited to see my face on towels,

and bed comforters.

And I didn't really understand

how that could affect my psyche.

I started to step into a role

of really being aware of my brand.

[Versha] Right.

And what does that mean, and how am I tied to my brand,

and how does that affect my identity?

You have to act a certain way, and now you're a role model,

and your face is gonna be on all this stuff.

You really start questioning

all of the decisions that you make.

And as a rebellious teenager, I resented that.

Yeah, I think you said in the documentary,

these words should never be used together,

teenage role model.

[Demi] Yeah. Can you elaborate on that?

I feel like the term teenage role model

is kind of a bit of a conundrum.

And it's really ironic that teenagers could be put

on a pedestal like that, and looked up to,

when a lot of teenagers are just trying

to figure out who they are.

You're kind of stripping away the freedom to make mistakes

and not be judged for them.

To be human.

To be human, exactly.

Teenagers deserve to be human.

Yeah.

They deserve to make mistakes and to learn from them,

because that's what those years are for.

The only teenage role model that I can say

that that fits for is Greta Thunberg.

Being a climate activist at such a young age,

and taking on so many powerful people and corporations.

But I also have to wonder,

does she have room for error in her personal life?

Does she feel an immense amount

of pressure being in that spotlight?

I think she's doing a great job

of being a teenage role model.

But I do feel bad calling her that

because of the pressure it puts on her.

Exactly.

Alright, we're gonna switch gears a little bit,

and talk about some of your movies

and some of the work that you dive into

in the documentary as well.

We have to talk about Camp Rock.

You may have seen the way that TikTok and Gen Z

and even Gen Alpha now has started to embrace it

and fall in love with it. You have seen that?

Yes.

Okay.

What is one of the most amusing things related

to Camp Rock that you've seen or been sent?

They call it the Camp Rock knees.

Yeah.

When I first come out in the Camp Rock Final Jam,

they announce my name,

and I kind of timidly walk out on stage,

and I'm singing a little bit.

Then where the chorus hits,

I bust out into these these knees.

That's the only way I can describe it.

Yes, the Camp Rock knees.

[Producer] We do have another clip.

Let's take a look.

Oh, I know exactly which one this is.

[Versha laughs]

[Versha] You can tell by the foliage. [laughs]

Yes.

[Versha] I mean, this is probably one

of the most gift clips of all time.

[Demi] I could have been a cheerleader with this dance.

[Versha] Absolutely.

[Demi] We rehearsed so hard on that.

[Group] Camp Rock!

Hoo!

What was it like for you seeing that just go super viral?

People love using that clip.

They love using that clip.

I think there was one time where someone chopped it up

and edited the Kardashians into it.

And it made me laugh so hard.

I love that people are using it.

I love that people still remember it.

This was a Disney Channel original movie

that may not have been seen by anybody,

and yet it had success

and turned out to be what it is today.

So I'm grateful for it.

I've watched Camp Rock back, showing my fiance.

Was it his first time seeing it with you?

Yes, of course.

Oh my God.

He didn't grow up with Disney Channel,

so he was very unfamiliar.

And we had a good giggle.

It's so corny, it's so cheesy,

but that's what people loved about it.

And I think that's--

Yeah, that was the Disney Channel back then.

That was the Disney Channel,

and so it holds a special place in my heart.

So of course I wanted him to see it.

I think we do have a clip from Sonny with a Chance.

You've got all these great ideas,

and you're full of enthusiasm.

Yeah, that's right, I am.

Well, knock it off.

Something that was really meaningful

to me were the friendships that I made.

I became really good friends with Tiffany Thornton,

who was in Sonny with a Chance with me.

[Versha] Okay.

And I was actually a bridesmaid in her wedding.

Building those friendships that last for so long,

it was really meaningful to me.

And I do look back at that time and think,

how fun was it that I got to be on a show

that was a comedy show?

The live audience every Friday night was so exciting

and invigorating.

And having them throw lines at you in between takes.

Okay, you're gonna change your lines here,

and these are your new lines.

And you'd have to memorize them on the spot

and then kill it in the next take.

And you only had four takes to nail it in.

So I am really proud of myself for the work

that I did on that show, even if it's a little over the top.

I think we have a clip from Princess Protection Program.

Oh wait, I remember this scene.

[Princess Rosalinda speaks French]

I just remember in that scene the French teacher walks in

and I deliver my lines, which were in French.

And I couldn't tell you what I said.

We were just talking about memorizing.

That was an amazing delivery.

Someone could have gotten me into a lot of trouble

with feeding me words that I did not know.

But luckily it was Disney Channel,

so I wasn't saying anything bad.

So you've shared very openly about your experiences

with disordered eating since then,

and the impacts that fame has had on body and self-image.

To a young person who's struggling with those same issues,

what wisdom or counsel would you wanna share

with them based on what you've been through?

It's such hard work to overcome these issues,

but it's so worth it.

One of the greatest accomplishments that I've ever achieved

is starting to feel comfortable in my skin.

I'm not there yet.

It's not even that I've reached this end goal

of endless love and acceptance for my body.

It's just that I've started to accept my body,

and that to me is a place

where I never thought that I would ever get to.

I'm a work in progress,

but I would say to someone younger dealing

with those same issues that the work is hard,

but it's so worth it.

Yeah.

One thing that's interesting and different to the way

that we grew up is now the widespread availability

and usage of social media.

It's not just TV stars anymore, right?

Yes.

But budding stars on every platform imaginable.

Sometimes it feels like everyone wants to be a creator

or an influencer, but maybe without knowing fully

what might follow if they go viral or become famous.

So what is your take on social media

and young people's mental health?

It's so unhealthy for young people to be on social media.

When I have kids, I'm not gonna let them on social media

until they're 16 maybe.

Because your brain is still forming.

Yeah.

When you're on social media, you're seeing things.

You're putting yourself on that platform

that was once only reserved

for television stars and singers.

[Versha] Yeah.

Now you are putting yourself out there in front

of the world for people to judge you, and to criticize you.

But also, you're building that unhealthy habit

of looking for validation through likes and follows.

If you are a young person,

of the appropriate age to start following your dreams

and be a content creator and make music,

or whatever it is that you're doing on TikTok or Instagram,

you have to just be really careful.

And that's kind of what Child Star is for parents looking

to get their kids in the industry.

I wanted to make a film that wasn't a manual,

but it was a cautionary tale.

When you put yourself on a platform

or in front of so many people, it creates a lot of pressure.

And that can be a lot to handle

for someone that's under the age of 18.

You say in the documentary that music saved you.

What does it feel like to write, to sing,

to be in front of an audience then and now?

Before, it was something that I needed.

I needed that escape and I needed that validation.

I needed that success.

Now I do it because I love it.

[Versha] Yeah.

I do it now because my life is fulfilled

in so many other ways, and this is just the cherry on top.

If I wanna make music, I will.

If I don't, then I won't.

Doing it from this place and this mindset

of not needing it anymore is so much more rewarding

than anything I could have ever achieved

in my musical career.

It sounds very liberating.

It is, it's very liberating.

Yeah.

This is the 2020 Grammys.

That was a really emotional moment for me.

I remember being in the hospital after my overdose.

In the ICU, from the ICU bed,

I actually listened to that song.

Oh wow.

And was like, I'm gonna sing this one day.

This'll be my song for when I come back.

And it just resonated so much with me at that time

when I felt so low in the hospital.

I recorded it in the midst of my addiction.

I sang it from a place of such deep desperation

of just wanting to be heard and seen and loved.

Getting on stage again for the first time since my overdose,

I was overcome with emotion.

And I felt really raw and vulnerable up there.

I also opened my eyes and looked and saw my mom

and my sisters out in the audience.

And kind of a full circle moment to have been recording

that song from such a dark place,

to overcoming what I had overcome,

and singing on the stage at the Grammys.

And doing exactly what you wanted to do,

accomplishing it, feeling triumphant.

It was a triumphant moment for me.

Yeah, that's really beautiful.

Thank you for sharing. Thank you.

So now I know that you're posting

your Cooking with Demi videos.

Yeah.

And you've said you're in your Martha Stewart era.

Yeah.

Can you tell us what you enjoy about that

and how it's reflective

of your current relationship with food?

The biggest reason why I step foot in the kitchen

is my recovery with food.

The first time that I ever stepped foot in a grocery store

in treatment for my eating disorder,

they took us on an outing and we went to a grocery store

to buy our ingredients for a recipe.

And I just was so overcome with emotion,

so overstimulated and overwhelmed by the sight

of so much food that I just broke down and cried.

To go from that place to now going to the grocery store,

getting ingredients myself,

and cooking them for myself and my loved ones,

it's the ultimate [censor bleep] you to my eating disorder.

[Versha] Yeah.

And I'm not gonna let it win, no matter what.

What gives you hope or what brings you joy right now?

Being in the kitchen with my loved ones,

which includes my fiance, sometimes my friends.

[Versha] Yeah.

And my new baby Pickle,

with my other two dogs Batman and Cinderella.

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