Demi Lovato opened up about her new Hulu documentary “Child Star,” saying that young fame ruined her childhood and she won’t let her own kids go through the same.
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, the 31-year-old actress who was a staple of Disney Channel shows for kids growing up in the 2000’s said if her daughter ever came to her and expressed an interest in following in her footsteps into acting/music, she’d tell her to wait until she’s older.
“I’d say, ‘Let’s study music theory and prepare you for the day you turn 18, because it’s not happening before that,’” Lovato told the outlet.
“Not because I don’t believe in you or love you or want you to be happy, but because I want you to have a childhood, the childhood that I didn’t have,” she added.
“‘And also, let’s come up with a backup plan,’ which is something I wish I’d done because sometimes I think it’s time for me to move on, but I’m in this weird position in my career because I still rely on music for my income,” Lovato continued.
Demi Lovato looks back on her Disney years now and feels profound sadness, wondering how many people she treated poorly. “I think about people in the wardrobe department on my TV show because I’d go in there in bad moods all the time” https://t.co/dyxliWN8bM pic.twitter.com/Wu5rHr8pcZ
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) August 14, 2024
The “Camp Rock” star also talked about her new project, which she said was designed to be a cautionary tale for families interested in pursuing fame for their kids.
“Having the child be the breadwinner almost inherently changes the dynamic of a family, and then it becomes, like, how do you discipline that breadwinner?” Lovato said.
“I mean, they’d [mom and stepdad] try to ground me, but I was an egotistical child star, and I thought I was on top of the world. I’d be like, ‘But I pay the bills,’ and what do you say to that?”
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Lovato later took issue with how former President of Disney Channels Worldwide, Gary Marsh, characterized the company’s responsibility when it comes to young talent, saying in a 2012 interview, “At the end of the day, it’s the parents who really have to be parents … the network is not responsible for raising their children.”
The actress disagreed and said after she left, she learned that the company had “hired a life coach with whom she was working [with] at the time,” which she said would’ve been helpful for her own family.
“I just think leaving it up to the families is really risky,” Lovato said. “Because not everyone has a healthy family dynamic, and you’re putting them in a pressure cooker.”
The “Sober” hitmaker previously opened up about her longtime battle with alcohol and drugs, and said it started when she was 13 because she was already being “bullied” and was “looking for an escape,” as The Daily Wire previously reported.
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