September cover star Demi Lovato sits down with Teen Vogue's editor-in-chief Versha Sharma to dive into her mental health journey, rise to stardom and finding self-love in the face of adversity. From her early beginnings with 'Camp Rock' to overcoming personal struggles, Demi opens up about the many experiences she learned from and how she hopes to inspire others to always take care of themselves.
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00:00I was so uncomfortable like performing for the first time in that movie on a stage.
00:05I just did what my body wanted to do and I came up with a really cringy dance move.
00:12Hi everyone, I'm Varsha Sharma, the editor-in-chief of Teen Vogue,
00:15and I am so excited to be sitting here today with Demi Lovato,
00:19our September cover star this year.
00:21We're going to be talking about everything from mental health,
00:23to Camp Rock, to Camp Rock 2, which I now know you're very proud of,
00:27to being in the spotlight at a young age,
00:29the latter of which is the focus of your upcoming documentary, Child Star on Hulu.
00:37Our visual editor actually went back into the archive and was able to pull
00:41some digital copies of all of your former covers and cover stories from Teen Vogue.
00:46So this is...
00:47Oh yeah, with the blonde and blue hair, I remember that.
00:51Yes, this clutch braid.
00:53It was at this really cool house that I've never forgotten.
00:57There were antiques everywhere.
00:59It was something out of a movie.
01:01Then we have this one.
01:02Oh my god, I remember that helicopters were flying over that shoot trying to get a picture.
01:06Really?
01:07Oh, the paparazzi, they were out in force.
01:10They were out.
01:10Tell me, how was it for you today then, being back after all of these years?
01:14It was so fun.
01:15I got to bring my new baby, Pickle.
01:17We love, yes.
01:18So Pickle's just hanging out with us today.
01:21Pickle's making his Teen Vogue debut.
01:23Yes.
01:23I love it.
01:23I want to say up front that you have been a major mental health advocate throughout your
01:28whole career.
01:29I'm somebody who struggles with depression and anxiety myself, and I appreciate your
01:34honesty and openness about it so much.
01:36I'm on medication.
01:37I go to therapy.
01:39I know a lot of people do, but it's still something that it feels like we're only just
01:42now beginning to be very open about.
01:45So in your mental health journey, where do you feel like things stand for you now?
01:49Well, first of all, I just want to say thank you for sharing.
01:52Not everyone chooses to share personal facts about their life with me.
01:57I feel like sometimes I'm the one out in the open shouting from the rooftops like,
02:00hey, look at me.
02:01I have this going on.
02:03But I'm also on medication, and medication is something that has worked wonders for me,
02:08especially being bipolar.
02:10I feel like I'm in a really great place in my life.
02:12I have a lot of things that I have to look forward to and that I'm excited for, but
02:20sometimes you can have all of that going on, and if your mental health is suffering, it
02:24can still get to you.
02:25So I'm just grateful that I'm in a place where I can say that I really put in the work
02:32with my treatment team and with myself, and I can look forward to those things.
02:39One of the things that you spoke about was medication and your medication journey.
02:43That stood out to me because this is also something that I feel like not enough people
02:46talk about.
02:47You have to try different treatments.
02:49You have to try different types of medication.
02:52When I first became an advocate for my mental health and other people's mental health
02:56journey, I realized that sometimes it takes 10 years to get a diagnosis, the right diagnosis.
03:03And then on top of that, you've got to go through finding the right medication for you,
03:07which can take up to weeks, months, years at a time, and it's really challenging.
03:12But I struggled for so many years with bipolar disorder before I realized that's what it
03:19was, you know, bouts of mania where I would be up until 6, 7 in the morning just writing
03:2610 songs a night.
03:27I liked it for my creativity, but it wasn't something that provided a stable lifestyle
03:34for me.
03:35Let's talk about the upcoming release of your Hulu documentary, Child Star.
03:39Yes.
03:39It is your directorial debut, so congratulations.
03:42That's very exciting.
03:44I've seen it.
03:44It's powerful.
03:46It's honest.
03:47Can you tell us a little bit about how it all came to be?
03:49I had this idea floating around in my brain for several years before I even opened my
03:56mouth and talked about it.
03:57What I wanted to do was make a film about my experience as a child star, but also other
04:05people's experiences as child stars and go down the history of child stardom.
04:10What was the history with Jackie Coogan and Shirley Temple and all these child stars that
04:16came before us?
04:17Then I wanted to explore why is it that some child stars go down, you know, a difficult
04:23path?
04:23Why is it that some turn out totally fine and normal?
04:26What is it like to step away from the industry?
04:29What is it like to stay in?
04:30And me and my co-director, Nicola Marsh, did a really great job of putting that all in
04:35and packing that into a film.
04:36So you mentioned you do interview a number of fellow child stars.
04:39There's Kenan Thompson, Jojo Siwa, Raven Symone.
04:43What did they say when you first called them up with the idea?
04:46You know, some people were like, yes, immediately, right away.
04:48And some people were like, well, what is the direction of this documentary?
04:52What kind of film are we making on child stardom?
04:55And I think some people were a little bit more apprehensive than others because it hasn't
05:00been the easiest journey for everyone.
05:02So that was totally understandable.
05:04And once I explained to them the film and the purpose behind it, you know, they got
05:11behind it.
05:12And it was great.
05:13Some of the bullying moments that you share in the documentary from your own childhood
05:17are really affecting.
05:19The suicide petition is particularly disturbing.
05:22Can you first paraphrase just like what that story is briefly for our audience?
05:27I was bullied in the seventh grade and I left public school because of it.
05:32Kids in my grade were, I think, resentful that I was stepping into a career at such
05:41a young age that set me up for potential fame and fortune.
05:46And I think that they didn't know how to handle it when I asked them, you know, why are you
05:50bullying me?
05:51Why are you doing this?
05:53Their reactions were, you're fat and you're a whore.
05:55I wasn't those things.
05:56Of course.
05:57I came to realize later what it actually was, was, oh, there was some jealousy there.
06:02There was a letter that had some really hurtful things in there.
06:09And one of the things that it said was, you should kill yourself.
06:12And what they did was they passed it around the school and people signed it.
06:17So whether they intended it to be or not, it turned out to be like a suicide petition.
06:23It was a really dark time for me.
06:25It threw me into a spiral and it traumatized me.
06:29And I still deal with that today.
06:31You've now become a major anti-bullying advocate based on some of your own experiences.
06:36So how does it feel to look back on that now?
06:39I feel like I've done a lot of work around it.
06:42I do feel like sometimes I have trust issues that surface because of what I went through as a kid.
06:47I think that using that platform for good to speak up about
06:51bullying and how it can really affect people was the right decision for me.
06:56I can say that it doesn't affect me the same way that it once did.
07:00One of the other things that stood out to me from the documentary was
07:04how alone you felt and then also some of the other child stars that you interviewed.
07:08I think it's Christina Ricci talks about how she felt like she didn't belong.
07:13That stood out to me because you're beloved, right?
07:16Like all of these kids and young people around the world find connection
07:20in your art and in your performances.
07:23But as the performers, you felt alone.
07:26So what was it like diving into that dichotomy?
07:28It's easy to look at someone in the spotlight and say, oh, you're so loved.
07:33And you're so adored by so many.
07:36Why do you feel so alone?
07:37But it's so surface.
07:40That validation that you're receiving is not from a meaningful connection.
07:44It's from people that don't know you.
07:46It felt like a mask that I had put on.
07:50And my mask was my armor from bullies, but it was also my brand.
07:55And it separated me from deep and meaningful connection with
07:59every person that came up to me and said, I love you so much.
08:03I'm your biggest fan.
08:05Deep down in my heart, no matter how many people said that they loved and adored me,
08:08no matter how many albums I sold or movies I did,
08:12I knew that it wasn't going to fill that void.
08:15I had a therapist tell me that the opposite of addiction is connection.
08:19And I firmly believe that that's true because meaningful connections
08:24protect you from isolation.
08:26And I feel like I've gotten to a place in my life today where I
08:30really value the meaningful connections that are in my life.
08:34And I prioritize them in my schedule because I really value it over work now.
08:42Whereas when I was a teenager, work was my life.
08:44It was my everything.
08:45Yeah.
08:46One part that also really stood out to me is the discussion about how
08:49celebrities or famous people may have a tendency to die by suicide
08:54at higher rates than the general population.
08:57What was it like for you hearing that?
08:59There were so many times where I thought,
09:01this is it.
09:02Like, I can't do this anymore.
09:04I struggle with suicidal ideations from time to time,
09:08more so in my past than now.
09:11I haven't dealt with one in a long time, in years, in fact.
09:14But it's something that struck a chord with me because I've been there.
09:17I've been that empty and been that alone.
09:20I had to learn a lot through self-work.
09:24I have compassion for everyone that's struggled with that same feeling.
09:28Definitely.
09:30I've struggled with that, too.
09:32And as open as I have been about my mental health,
09:34I don't think I've ever said that on camera.
09:36So it's just another example of how you being so open helps people.
09:40For sure.
09:42And once again, thank you for sharing.
09:44That's really brave.
09:45You talk in the documentary about the commodification
09:48of these Disney and Nickelodeon stars, yourself included.
09:52Do you remember how you felt when you first saw your image
09:56kind of exploding in that way?
09:58The merchandising angle of it and all of that?
10:00It was a dream come true.
10:03I felt so excited to see my face on towels and bed comforters.
10:11And I didn't really understand how that could affect my psyche.
10:19I started to step into a role of really being aware of my brand.
10:23Right.
10:24And what does that mean?
10:25And how am I tied to my brand?
10:27And how does that affect my identity?
10:29You have to act a certain way.
10:31And now you're a role model.
10:33And your face is going to be on all this stuff.
10:35You really start questioning all of the decisions that you make.
10:38And as a rebellious teenager, I resented that.
10:42I think you said in the documentary,
10:44these words should never be used together, teenage role model.
10:48Yeah.
10:49Can you elaborate on that?
10:50I feel like the term teenage role model is kind of a bit of a conundrum.
10:56And it's really ironic that teenagers could be put on a pedestal like that
11:02and looked up to when a lot of teenagers are just trying to figure out who they are.
11:09You're kind of stripping away the freedom to make mistakes and not be judged for them.
11:16To be human.
11:17To be human, exactly.
11:18Teenagers deserve to be human.
11:20Yeah.
11:20They deserve to make mistakes and to learn from them
11:24because that's what those years are for.
11:25The only teenage role model that I can say that that fits for is Greta Thunberg.
11:32Being a climate activist at such a young age and taking on
11:36so many powerful people and corporations.
11:39But I also have to wonder, does she have room for error in her personal life?
11:44Does she feel an immense amount of pressure being in that spotlight?
11:48I think she's doing a great job of being a teenage role model.
11:50But I do feel bad calling her that because of the pressure it puts on her.
11:54Exactly.
11:55All right, we're going to switch gears a little bit and talk about some of your movies
12:00and some of the work that you dive into and the documentary as well.
12:04We have to talk about Camp Rock.
12:06You may have seen the way that TikTok and Gen Z and even Gen Alpha now
12:11has started to embrace it and fall in love with it.
12:14You have seen that.
12:14Yes.
12:15Okay.
12:15What is one of the most amusing things related to Camp Rock that you've seen or been sent?
12:20They call it the Camp Rock knees.
12:22When I first come out in the Camp Rock final jam,
12:26they announce my name and I kind of timidly walk out on stage and I'm singing a little bit.
12:31Then when the chorus hits, I bust out into these knees.
12:36That's the only way I can describe it.
12:38Yes, the Camp Rock knees.
12:41Let's take a look.
12:42Oh, I know exactly which one this is.
12:45You can tell by the foliage.
12:46Yes.
12:48I mean, this is probably one of the most gift clips of all time.
12:52I could have been a cheerleader with this dance.
12:54Absolutely.
12:55We rehearsed so hard on that.
12:58What was it like for you seeing that just go like super viral?
13:01People love using that clip.
13:02They love using that clip.
13:04I think there was like one time where someone chopped it up and edited
13:07the Kardashians into it and it made me laugh so hard.
13:11I love that people are using it.
13:13I love that people still remember it.
13:15This was a Disney Channel original movie that may not have been seen by
13:19anybody and yet it had success and turned out to be what it is today.
13:24So I'm grateful for it.
13:25I've watched Camp Rock back showing my fiancé.
13:29Was it his first time seeing it?
13:31Yes, of course.
13:32He didn't grow up with Disney Channel, so he was very unfamiliar and we had a good giggle.
13:37It's so corny.
13:38It's so cheesy.
13:39But that's what people loved about it.
13:41That was the Disney Channel.
13:43That was the Disney Channel.
13:44And so it holds a special place in my heart.
13:46So of course I wanted him to see it.
13:48I think we do have a clip from Sunny with a Chance.
13:50You've got all these great ideas and you're full of enthusiasm.
13:54Yeah, that's right I am.
13:55Well knock it off.
13:56Something that was really meaningful to me were the friendships that I made.
14:00I became really good friends with Tiffany Thornton who was in Sunny with a Chance with me.
14:05And I was actually a bridesmaid in her wedding.
14:08Building those friendships that last for so long, it was really meaningful to me.
14:13And I do look back at that time and think how fun was it that I got to be on a show
14:17that was a comedy show.
14:18The live audience every Friday night was so exciting and invigorating.
14:22And having them throw lines at you in between takes.
14:26OK, you're going to change your lines here and these are your new lines.
14:30And you'd have to memorize them on the spot and then kill it in the next take.
14:34And you only had four takes to nail it in.
14:38So I am really proud of myself for the work that I did on that show,
14:42even if it's a little over the top.
14:44I think we have a clip from Princess Protection Program.
14:46Oh, wait, I remember this scene.
15:00I just remember in that scene, the French teacher walks in
15:03and I deliver my lines, which were in French.
15:07And I couldn't tell you what I said.
15:10We're just talking about memorizing.
15:11That was an amazing delivery.
15:13Someone could have gotten me into a lot of trouble with
15:15feeding me words that I did not know.
15:18But luckily, you know, it was Disney Channel, so I wasn't saying anything bad.
15:21So you've shared very openly about your experiences
15:23with disordered eating since then
15:25and the impacts that fame has had on body and self-image.
15:29To a young person who's struggling with those same issues,
15:32what wisdom or counsel would you want to share with them
15:35based on what you've been through?
15:36It's such hard work to overcome these issues, but it's so worth it.
15:42One of the greatest accomplishments that I've ever achieved
15:46is starting to feel comfortable in my skin.
15:50I'm not there yet.
15:51It's not even that I've reached this end goal of
15:54endless love and acceptance for my body.
15:56It's just that I've started to accept my body,
15:59and that to me is a place where I never thought that I would ever get to.
16:04I'm a work in progress, but I would say to someone younger
16:10dealing with those same issues that the work is hard, but it's so worth it.
16:14One thing that's interesting and different to the way that we grew up
16:17is now the widespread availability and usage of social media.
16:21It's not just TV stars anymore, right?
16:24But budding stars on every platform imaginable.
16:27Sometimes it feels like everyone wants to be a creator or an influencer,
16:31but maybe without knowing fully what might follow
16:34if they go viral or become famous.
16:37What is your take on social media and young people's mental health?
16:41It's so unhealthy for young people to be on social media.
16:45When I have kids, I'm not going to let them on social media
16:48until they're 16 maybe because your brain is still forming.
16:53When you're on social media, you're seeing things,
16:55you're putting yourself on that platform
16:57that was once only reserved for television stars and singers.
17:02Now you are putting yourself out there in front of the world
17:04for people to judge you and to criticize you,
17:07but also you're building that unhealthy habit
17:11of looking for validation through likes and follows.
17:14If you are a young person, you know, of the appropriate age
17:18to start following your dreams and be a content creator
17:22and make music or whatever it is that you're doing on TikTok or Instagram,
17:27you have to just be really careful.
17:29And that's kind of what Child Star is for parents
17:33looking to get their kids in the industry.
17:34I wanted to make a film that wasn't a manual,
17:37but it was a cautionary tale.
17:41When you put yourself on a platform or in front of so many people,
17:46it creates a lot of pressure and that can be a lot to handle
17:50for someone that's under the age of 18.
17:52You say in the documentary that music saved you.
17:56What does it feel like to write, to sing,
17:58to be in front of an audience then and now?
18:00Before, it was something that I needed.
18:03I needed that escape and I needed that validation.
18:08I needed that success.
18:10Now I do it because I love it.
18:12You know, I do it now because my life is fulfilled in so many other ways.
18:18And this is just the cherry on top.
18:20If I want to make music, I will.
18:22If I don't, then I won't.
18:23Doing it from this place and this mindset of not needing it anymore
18:30is so much more rewarding than anything I could have ever achieved in my musical career.
18:37It sounds very liberating.
18:39It is.
18:39It's very liberating.
18:40Yeah.
18:40This is a 2020 Grammys.
18:42That was a really emotional moment for me.
18:45I remember being in the hospital after my overdose in the ICU from the ICU bed.
18:52I actually listened to that song and was like,
18:55I'm going to sing this one day.
18:57This will be my song for when I come back.
18:59And it just resonated so much with me at that time when I felt so low in the hospital.
19:04I recorded it in the midst of my addiction.
19:08I sang it from a place of such deep desperation of just wanting to be heard and seen and loved.
19:16Getting on stage again for the first time since my overdose,
19:20I was overcome with emotion and I felt really raw and vulnerable up there.
19:26I also opened my eyes and looked and saw my mom and my sisters out in the audience
19:31and kind of a full circle moment to have been recording that song from such a dark place
19:36to overcoming what I had overcome and singing on the stage at the Grammys.
19:43And doing exactly what you wanted to do, accomplishing it, feeling triumphant.
19:47It was a triumphant moment for me.
19:49Yeah.
19:50That's really beautiful.
19:50Thank you for sharing.
19:52So now I know that you're posting your Cooking with Demi videos.
19:55Yeah.
19:55And you've said you're in your Martha Stewart era.
19:58Yeah.
19:58Can you tell us what you enjoy about that and how it's reflective of your
20:02current relationship with food?
20:03The biggest reason why I stepped foot in the kitchen is my recovery with food.
20:08The first time that I ever stepped foot in a grocery store in treatment for my eating disorder,
20:14they took us on an outing and we went to a grocery store to buy our ingredients for a recipe.
20:19And I just was so overcome with emotion,
20:22so overstimulated and overwhelmed by the sight of so much food that I just broke down and cried.
20:28To go from that place to now going to the grocery store, getting ingredients myself and
20:35cooking them for myself and my loved ones, it's the ultimate **** you to my eating disorder.
20:41Yeah.
20:41And I'm not going to let it win, you know, no matter what.
20:45What gives you hope or what brings you joy right now?
20:48Being in the kitchen with my loved ones, which includes my fiancé, sometimes my friends.
20:54Yeah.
20:54And my new baby Pickle with my other two dogs, Batman and Cinderella.