Demi Lovato
Name
Demi Lovato
Birth date
20 August 1992
Country
USA 
City
Albuquerque
Demi Lovato
Demetria Devonne "Demi" Lovato (born August 20, 1992) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, actress and spokesperson. Her earliest roles included Angela on Barney & Friends, before she became better known for her starring roles in the Camp Rock movies, as Sonny Munroe in the Disney sitcom Sonny with a Chance, and as the star of the 2009 movie Princess Protection Program. She is also involved in philanthropic activities through charity work and various social and environmental causes.
As a solo musical artist, Lovato released her debut album Don't Forget on September 23, 2008. The album debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 selling 89,000 copies in the first week. It has since shipped over 500,000 copies, earning a gold certification in the United States. Lovato released her second album, Here We Go Again, on July 21, 2009. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, selling 108,000 copies in the first week Her third studio album, Unbroken, was released on September 20, 2011 and peaked at number four on the Billboard 200. She is working on her fourth studio album. In Fall 2012, Lovato will be a judge on the second season of the American version of The X Factor.
Lovato was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico on August 20, 1992, and raised in Dallas, Texas] She is the daughter of Dianna Hart de la Garza (born Dianna Lee Smith) and Patrick Martin Lovato. Her ancestry includes Mexican, Irish, Italian, and English. She has an older sister, Dallas Lovato, and a younger half-sister, Madison de la Garza, from her mother's re-marriage. Her mother was a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader and country music recording artist. Lovato began playing piano at the age of seven. Lovato also began her acting career at the age of seven on the children's television series Barney & Friends as Angela, appearing in seasons seven and eight alongside long time friend Selena Gomez. In an interview with Ellen DeGeneres, Lovato revealed going through painful experiences with bullying in the seventh grade. Lovato stated in an interview with 20/20 in 2011 that she had had a "really unhealthy relationship with food" since age 8 due to bullying experienced as a child, and self-mutilated her wrists to cope with her emotions and depression since age 11. In an interview with Fabulous Magazine UK, she said that: "They called me a whore and told me I was fat and ugly. I shouldn't have listened, but I took it to heart and it hurt. I thought maybe I didn't have friends because I was too fat," she remembers. So she starved herself, and anything she did eat, she threw up again. Within six months she had lost over 2st (28 lbs) and weighed 6st 4 lb (88 lbs) - unhealthy for her 5 ft 2in height. "I'd make myself sick up to six times a day," she says. "My mum was worried, but because I was going through puberty I was having growth spurts so she assumed that was why I was thinner." According to Lovato, the bullying was so bad that one day, in a fit of frustration and distress, she requested her mom give her a home-schooled education. Lovato earned a high school diploma through homeschooling in April 2009. Lovato later became a spokesperson for anti-bullying organization PACER and appeared on America's Next Top Model and CNN to speak out against bullying.
In 2006, Lovato guest starred on Prison Break as Danielle Curtin in the episode "First Down." She also appeared in the second season of the television sitcom Just Jordan as Nicole, in the episode "Slippery When Wet." In January 2007, she landed the role of Charlotte Adams on the Disney Channel Original Short Series, As the Bell Rings, which premiered on August 26, 2007. A few of her original songs, including "Shadow", were featured on the show. In the summer of 2007, Lovato auditioned for the Disney Channel television film Camp Rock and the television series Sonny with a Chance in the same day and got both parts. For Camp Rock, she submitted an audition tape and Gary Marsh, Disney's president of entertainment, asked her to sing. She sang Christina Aguilera's "Ain't No Other Man", and Hollywood Records senior vice president Bob Cavallo said that their "jaws just dropped". Lovato received the lead role in Camp Rock, and a record deal with Hollywood Records in early 2008. In Camp Rock she played Mitchie Torres, a fourteen-year-old girl with hopes of becoming a singer. The movie premiered on June 20, 2008, in the United States on the Disney Channel with 8.9 million viewers, making Lovato a household name among young viewers. Its Disney Channel Italy premier received 1.14 million viewers on September 2008.
Starting in 2009, Lovato appeared as Sonny Munroe in the Disney channel comedy Sonny With a Chance. The show featured Lovato as the newest cast member on the show-within-a-show So Random!. The series debuted on February 8, 2009 in the United States. This is the first Disney Channel Original Series to be shot and aired in high-definition from the beginning; like most of Disney Channel's sitcoms, it is shot on tape, but uses a "filmized" appearance. The second season, some scenes are shot on location. The series is one of three Disney Channel Original Series to feature a show-within-a-show, with the others being The Famous Jett Jackson and Shake It Up. The series officially ended on January 2, 2011. Gary Marsh, president of entertainment, Disney Channel Worldwide, stated "This series is rooted in one of the core thematic attributes that we stand for, which is following your dreams, there also was the opportunity to do a hybrid show." The show began production on September 15, 2008 and the first season was taped at Stage 11 at NBC Studios in Burbank, California; for the second season, the show's production moved to Hollywood Center Studios in Hollywood, California, where The Suite Life on Deck, Wizards of Waverly Place and Jonas L.A. are also taped. In June 2009 Lovato co-starred in Princess Protection Program as Princess Rosalinda alongside Selena Gomez on the Disney Channel. The made-for-television movie is the third highest rated Disney Channel Original Movie, premiering on the Disney Channel with 9.8 million viewers. Laura Fries of Variety magazine describes the film as being "light as a summer breeze on the Louisiana bayou". Although the film does not stray far from the Disney formula, she praises writer Annie DeYoung for providing young girls a nice message about self-esteem. She says the film should be a hit with the channel's target audience.
In September 2009, production began for Camp Rock's sequel, Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam. The Disney Channel Original Movie premiered on September 3, 2010. The film was watched by 7.9 million viewers on its premiere night, about 1 million less viewers than its predecessor. In 2010 it also became the most watched cable television programme that week, as well as the No. 1 movie by number of viewers on 2010's cable television. In its second broadcast on September 4, the film reached 3.7 million viewers. The film also reached 21 million unique viewers over its premiere weekend from September 3 to September 6. In its UK premiere on September 17, 2010 in was watched by 637,000 viewers. The film received generally mixed reviews. The review aggregate website Rotten Tomatoes reported that 40% of critics gave the film mixed reviews, based on 5 reviews (3 'Rotten' and 2 'Fresh'), with an average score of 6.1/10. The film currently holds an 8.7 rating, earning it a "Great" film rating on TV.com. Lovato appeared as a guest star in an episode of the medical drama series Grey's Anatomy as a teenage patient named Hayley May, whose parents brought her in for schizophrenia In a review of the episode, EW.com praised her performance, stating, "I still believe that even an unbiased observer would conclude that the Disney princess did a fine job acting it up as a suicidal 16-year-old who was admitted after trying to claw her own eyes out." On April 19, 2011, People.com reported that Demi Lovato would not be returning for the third season of Sonny With a Chance due to her health issues. As a result, the show will be renamed So Random! and focus only on the sketches rather than the behind-the-scenes antics. As a result of Lovato's departure from Sonny with a Chance, the series is the second Disney Channel original series to have its lead actor/actress leave during the series' run (after So Weird), and the fourth Disney Channel series to have a main cast member leave the series during its run (with That's So Raven and Jonas L.A. also included ). The third season was then turned into its own new series based on its new format. On leaving the show, Lovato satated "...it's kind of sad for me that a chapter of my life has ended but there couldn't be a better time for me to move on...I don't think going back to Sonny would be healthy for my recovery...Being in front of a camera would make me nervous."
Lovato said in an April 2012 interview with KOKO POP UK that music is currently her "top priority", but that she is "kind of getting the itch to get back into acting, so we'll see what comes next." In an interview with Fabulous Magazine UK, Lovato said she will not come back to acting until she is fully confident. "I need to be secure in my body before I go back in front of the camera. Anyone in recovery from an eating disorder would find that triggering, and I'm not ready," she says.
Lovato's music career began in 2007, when several of her original songs, including "Shadow", were included on the mini-series As the Bell Rings. In 2008, Lovato signed with Hollywood Records after getting the lead role in the film Camp Rock. She provided vocals on four of the songs featured on the Camp Rock soundtrack, including "We Rock", "Who Will I Be", "Our Time Is Here" and "This Is Me" featuring Joe Jonas. The song peaked at #9 on the Billboard Hot 100 and peaked at the top 20 in Australia, Canada and Norway. The soundtrack was released on June 24, 2008. The song peaked at number 3 on the US Billboard 200 and topped the US Billboard Top Soundtracks and peaked at the top 10 in Canada, Italy, Mexico, New Zealand and Spain. The soundtrack has sold over 1 million copies and was certified Platinum in the United States. Full songs of the album were made available on Camp Rock's official web site for one week, beginning June 10, 2008, and the full soundtrack premiered on Radio Disney on June 14, 2008 during Planet Premiere: Camp Rock. The soundtrack was released in the UK on July 14, 2008.The soundtrack album (both original and two-disc collector's edition) is an enhanced CD which contains a clip of an acoustic version of "This Is Me" when played on the computer with internet access. On November 16, 2008, a karaoke/instrumental version of the Camp Rock soundtrack was released. It is not available on iTunes, but can be purchased in stores such as Wal-Mart, Target, etc. In June and July 2008, Lovato performed at various House of Blues and parks for her Demi Live! Warm Up Tour in preparation for the release of her debut album and the Burnin' Up Tour with the Jonas Brothers. Lovato served as the support act on the Jonas Brothers' Burnin' Up Tour from July through September 2008.
Lovato's debut album, Don't Forget was released on September 23, 2008. The bulk of the album was co-written with the Jonas Brothers, who also produced the album with John Fields. They co-wrote ten songs in a week during the band's headlining Look Me in the Eyes Tour. The album is of the pop-rock genre and is lyrically similar to other teen-pop albums. It peaked at number two on the Billboard 200, selling 89,000 units in its first week of release. It has since sold over 500,000 records in the US. Critics noticed the distinct sound of the Jonas Brothers in the production of the album. Don't Forget spawned two singles. The first single released was "Get Back". It was written by Lovato, the Jonas Brothers, and produced by the Jonas Brothers alongside John Fields. The song features Jack Lawless on drums and John Taylor and the Jonas Brothers on guitars. It was released as the album's lead single on August 12, 2008, by Hollywood Records. The song was met with positive reviews from critics and performed average commercially, peaking at number forty-three on the Billboard Hot 100. The second and final single, "La La Land", was released on April 10, 2009 through Hollywood Records. It was written by Lovato and the Jonas Brothers, and produced by the Jonas Brothers alongside John Fields. The song was met with positive reviews from critics. Commercially, the song peaked at number fifty-two on the Billboard Hot 100. Lovato joined Disney's Friends for Change, an organization which promotes "environmently-friendly behavior," and appears in its public service announcements to raise awareness for the cause on the Disney Channel. Lovato, Selena Gomez, Miley Cyrus, and the Jonas Brothers recorded "Send It On," a charity single that served as the theme song for the organization in 2009. The song debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 at #20. Disney's Friends for Change directed all of its proceeds from "Send It On" to environmental charities to the Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund. In October 2009, she collaborated again with the Jonas Brothers and appeared on the music video on YouTube for the song called Bounce under her alter-ego, MC D Love. in 2010, Lovato and Joe Jonas recored a song called "Make a Wave", a second charity single that currently serves as the theme song for Disney's Friends for Change.
Lovato embarked on the Summer Tour 2009 to promote her second album, Here We Go Again, released in the summer of 2009. The album debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 with 108,000 records sold in its first week. The album was more inspired by acoustic music, such as John Mayer's songs, than her debut's pop rock-influenced sound. The album received favorable reviews from critics, Billboard called Lovato "a natural talent who could really take flight after outgrowing Disney." Allmusic ranked Here We Go Again as one of the best pop albums of 2009. The album was preceded by the lead single, "Here We Go Again," which was released on June 23, 2009. It was written by Isaac Hasson, Lindy Robbins and Mher Filian and produced by SuperSpy, for Lovato's second studio album of the same name (2009). It was released as the album's lead single on June 23, 2009, through Hollywood Records. The song received positive reviews from critics, who praised its pop hook and made comparisons with works by Kelly Clarkson. The song peaked at number 15 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became Lovato's first top 40 hit on the chart as a solo artist. The album's second and final single, "Remember December," was released on November 17, 2009. It was written by John Fields, Lovato and Anne Preven, and produced by Fields. The song was released as the album's second and final single outside North America on January 18, 2010, through Hollywood Records. The song received generally positive reviews from music critics; the majority of them praised its hook and chorus. Several critics also named it one of the album's standouts. The song underperformed commercially; it only managed to reach #6 on Billboard's Bubbling Under Hot 100 (number 106 on the Hot 100) and it peaked at number 80 on the UK Singles Chart. Lovato's South American Tour was her first international headlining tour. The tour commenced on May 23, 2010, in Santiago, Chile, and concluded on May 28, 2010, in São Paulo, Brazil. She later joined the Jonas Brothers Live in Concert tour as a special guest.
The soundtrack, Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam, was released on August 10, 2010. She provided vocals on nine of the songs featured on the soundtrack, including "Brand New Day", "Can't Back Down", "It's On", "You're My Favorite Song", "What We Came Here For", "This Is Our Song", "Different Summers", "It's Not Too Late" and "Wouldn't Change a Thing". The song was released on July 31, 2010. The song was released as the soundtrack's fourth single. The song failed to chart in the US Billboard Hot 100 but peaked at number 10on the US Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart. The soundtrack peaked at number 3 on the US Billboard 200 and topped the US Billboard Top Soundtracks, and peaked at the top 10 in Brazil, Canada, Italy and Spain. The soundtrack has sold over 500,000 copies and was certified Gold in the United States. The tour is actually Jonas Brothers' 2010 World Tour, which special guests are Demi Lovato and the cast of Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam. The Camp Rock 2 Tour is officially called Jonas Brothers 2010 World Tour/Camp Rock 2 Tour. Meaghan Martin was not be on tour due to filming a movie. The tour started on August 7, 2010, two weeks later than planned.
Lovato's third studio album, Unbroken, was released on September 20, 2011. Lovato began working on the album in July 2010, prior to receiving treatment. She had described it as having a more soulful and R&B inspired sound, citing Keri Hilson and Rihanna as inspirations for the sound. After Lovato's stint in the treatment facility, producer Timbaland expressed interest in working with her. Lovato confirmed in July 2011 that she was working on a duet with the producer. The album was described as more "radio friendly" than her previous albums, as she planned to incorporate dance, hip-hop and R&B styles in it. The album received mixed to positive reviews from music critics, praising Lovato's vocals and growth in musicianship compared to her previous two albums, as well as some of the album's ballad tracks. The first single off the album, "Skyscraper", premiered on July 12, 2011, as a promotional single, before the album released. It was written by Toby Gad, Lindy Robbins and Kerli Kõiv and produced by Gad. The song was very well received by music critics and also by the media, with the majority of them praising Lovato's vocals and the inspirational lyrics. Upon its release, it was also met with praise from celebrities on the microblogging site Twitter. The song debuted at number ten on the Billboard Hot 100, spending a total of 17 weeks on the chart. The song became Lovato's highest-peaking single on the chart since "This Is Me" peaked at number nine in August 2008. The album's second single, "Give Your Heart a Break", was officially released on January 23, 2012. The track was written and produced by American songwriters Josh Alexander and Billy Steinberg. The song received critical acclaim from contemporary music critics, praising the production as well as Lovato's vocals. The single debuted at number seventy on the US Billboard Hot 100, and has so far peaked at number 22, while becoming her biggest radio single to date. The song has sold over 1,000,000 digital copies and was officially certified Platinum in the United States on August 15, 2012. Lovato revealed her Summer Tour 2012 and will begin on June 12, 2012 and end on September 1, 2012. On July 31, 2012, "Skyscraper" was nominated for "Best Video With a Message" at the 2012 MTV Video Music Awards, making this Lovato's first VMA nomination.
On April 4, 2012, it was reported that Lovato is working on her fourth studio album. On that same day, Lovato said that she would like to do a duet with Miley Cyrus. On April 5, 2012, Lovato confirmed on Twitter that writing for the album had began, saying that she was "so excited to start writing for my fourth album", and that "this time, there's NO holding back.." On April 8, 2012, Lovato stated that she had "just wrote a song I will never be able to release. *sigh*".
Lovato has partnered with mall proprietor GGP as the face of Shop Til You Rock, a music-inspired series of public events, which kick off at malls around the US in Summer 2010. The combines the season’s hottest fashions & today’s most popular musical guests in a series of interactive events. Lovato is also the spokesperson for anti-bullying organization PACER. Lovato explained to NY Post about becoming a spokesperson against bullying “Bullying is a very serious thing to me, I’ve witnessed it first hand – I was bullied myself when I was 12, I want to be able to help other girls around [my sister’s] age come into their own with a strong confidence in their skin, their size, who they are and everything about themselves.” Lovato is also the spokesperson for the Join the Surge Campaign!, DoSomething.Org and the Clean & Clear Brand launched Joining the Surge, which is a national campaign that empowers teenagers to take action in their communities.
Lovato is involved in Disney's Friends for Change, an organization which promotes "environmently-friendly behavior", and appears in its public service announcements to raise awareness for the cause on the Disney Channel. Lovato, Selena Gomez, Miley Cyrus, and the Jonas Brothers recorded "Send It On", a charity single which serves as the theme song for Disney's Friends for Change in 2009. The song debuted on the Hot 100 at number twenty. Disney's Friends For Change will direct all of its proceeds from "Send it On" to environmental charities to the Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund. Lovato and Joe Jonas recorded a new song called "Make a Wave", the second charity single which serves as the theme song for Disney's Friends for Change in 2010. In January 2010, Lovato was one of the many stars featured in a public service announcement for Voto Latino in order to promote the organization's "Be Counted" campaign for the 2010 United States Census. Lovato is also part of the "A Day Made Better" School Advocacy Campaign. "The campaign is giving a deserving teacher with $1,000 in school supplies on behalf of OfficeMax’s “A Day Made Better” school advocacy campaign." Lovato has also supported charities such as DonateMyDress.org, Kids Wish Network, Love Our Children USA, ST. Jude Children's Research Hospital, and City of Hope. To raise awareness about personal issues similar to her own, Lovato became a Contributing Editor to Seventeen magazine. She will discuss her personal issues as a part of a larger campaign called "Love is Louder than the Pressure to Be Perfect", directed towards teen girls. Lovato has been honored The Honorary Ambassador of Education award from the American Partnership For Eosinophilic Disorders.
In 2012, rumors that Lovato and Miley Cyrus were in talks to be replacement judges on the season two of the American version of The X Factor, in hopes of luring a younger audience, began circulating. Lovato reportedly signed a deal to judge the show on May 13, 2012. On May 14, 2012, it was officially confirmed that Spears and Lovato would join The X Factor USA as the two newest judges. When asked about the new judges, Cowell said: "I'm absolutely delighted Britney and Demi are joining us. Britney remains one of the biggest stars in the world, she's talented, fascinating – and I believe she knows exactly how to spot The X Factor. Demi's had an amazing career in music, TV and film for someone her age. She's young, confident, and enthusiastic. I think it’s really important that she speaks to our younger audience. The new panel will be dynamic and will work really well with the changes we are making to the show." Growing up, her musical influences were Aretha Franklin, Billie Holiday, Whitney Houston, Kelly Clarkson and Christina Aguilera.
In an MTV interview, Lovato stated that she likes metal music, particularly black metal and metalcore. She called symphonic black metal band Dimmu Borgir "one of her favorite live acts". On the July 24, 2009 episode of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, Lovato stated that three of her favorite bands were metalcore/symphonic black metal band Abigail Williams, deathcore band Job for a Cowboy and southern metal band Maylene and the Sons of Disaster. On another episode of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, after the release of Unbroken, she stated that she is now more into hip-hop and R&B styles of music, and has moved on from death metal. Her favorite R&B artist is Rihanna because she thinks her voice is "amazing" and she "loves all the songs she [Rihanna] performs".
Lovato's vocals has been critically acclaimed from music critics. Nick Levine of Digital Spy commented on Lovato's vocals on the album, Don't Forget: "she's certainly a stronger singer than the Jonases. In fact, her full-bodied vocal performances are consistently impressive." Jeff Miers from The Buffalo News commented about Lovato's vocals on the album, Here We Go Again: "Unlike so many of her Disney-fied peers, Lovato can really sing, and part of what makes her sophomore effort appealing is the lack of in-studio vocal manipulation." Miers further wrote that it is "refreshing" that Lovato does not need Auto-Tune "to mask any lack of natural ability". Singer and producer Ryan Tedder who worked on her album, Unbroken said of her voice: "Demi blew me out of the water vocally! I had no idea how good her voice is. She's one of the best singers I've ever worked with. Literally, that good... I mean, she's a Kelly Clarkson-level vocalist. And Kelly has a set of pipes." Becky Brain of Idolator wrote Lovato has a "killer voice and the A-list material to put it to good use".
She wrote the song "For the Love of a Daughter" about her estranged father. According to Fabulous Magazine UK, the song is about the rift between Lovato and her father after he - seemingly keen to cash in on his daughter's notoriety - did a series of interviews about her. The betrayal is still raw, and she says she has no interest in rebuilding a relationship with him. In the March 2009 issue of Teen Vogue, Lovato stated, "My first passion is music, because it comes naturally to me. Acting has been like a hobby."[95] Lovato is a Christian and prays with her band before they perform. She has described herself as very spiritual rather than very religious and said she believes in God.
She was best friends with Selena Gomez, whom she has known since Lovato "asked her to sit on my jacket and draw with crayons with me" at the Barney & Friends auditions. On March 12, 2010, Lovato confirmed that she had begun dating Joe Jonas, whom she first met while filming Camp Rock in 2007. On May 24, 2010, Lovato confirmed via her official Twitter that she and Jonas were no longer together. In an interview with UsMagazine, Jonas stated, "Demi and I knew that going into our romantic relationship it may not be an easy one. I realize that over the time we have spent together that I feel I care more about our friendship right now. It was my choice to break up, but I love her as a friend. She's been there for me when I needed her. I will continue to be her friend and be there for her." Lovato was a vegetarian, but since entering treatment, she has started eating meat. Lovato dated actor Wilmer Valderrama on and off in 2011.
In 2010, on her 18th birthday, Lovato bought her family a Mediterranean Style house in Los Angeles. She said, "For me to give that to my family on my birthday, that was the best present." then added, "It's got pretty much everything you could possibly imagine in it. It's the most beautiful, homey-feeling house. I love it." Lovato also purchased their current $1.88 million home in Toluca Lake, LA. She bought the house when she was 16 years old.
On October 30, 2010, Lovato dropped out of the Jonas Brothers Live in Concert World Tour 2010 in order to enter a treatment facility to treat "physical and emotional issues". The tour was not scheduled to be complete until November 13, 2010. Lovato's publicist stated that "she regrets not being able to finish her tour, but is looking forward to getting back to work in the near future." In particular, many media sources immediately reported that Lovato had decided to enter treatment right after punching a Jonas Brothers back-up dancer, Alex Welch, on a flight out of Bogotá, Colombia, allegedly because Lovato believed that Welch had informed tour managers of inappropriate behaviour on Lovato's part the previous night, causing Lovato to be confronted by her managers and her stepfather, Eddie de la Garza. Lovato's camp reached a financial settlement with Welch in late December 2010, with Welch stating that the agreement stipulated for a portion of the settlement to be donated to charity.
On January 28, 2011, it was reported that Lovato had completed her inpatient treatment at the rehab facility and returned home to Los Angeles, where she would "continue to see doctors" to "help her work on the issues she confronted in treatment." The day after the announcement, a Disney spokesperson told People that Disney "support[s] Demi's decision to put her health first and [they] send her [their] best wishes". On March 8, 2011 an exclusive video was released on Cambio.com in which Lovato thanked her fans for their support during what she described as "the darkest time of my life" and also stated that she was excited to get back to work.[109] Lovato granted her first post-rehab interview to ABC newscaster Robin Roberts, which aired on Good Morning America and 20/20 on April 22, 2011. During the interview, Lovato confirmed reports that her treatment was for bulimia and self-injury, and had taken place at the Timberline Knolls facility in Illinois after the aforementioned confrontation between her and Welch led to an intervention by her family and management team. Her condition came to a head during the tour because Lovato "was performing concerts on an empty stomach...I was losing my voice from purging. I was self-medicating. I was not taking medication for depression, and I literally was so emotionally whacked out that I took it out on someone that meant a lot to me." Later elaborating on this "self-medicating", Lovato said, "I'm not gonna lie. I was self-medicating. I was doing things like drinking and using [drugs], like a lot of teens do to numb their pain."Lovato expressed regret at her actions towards Welch, stating "I take 100 percent, full responsibility..." In another interview, Lovato added that she had "basically had a nervous breakdown",and was also diagnosed with bipolar disorder during her treatment.As part of her efforts to raise awareness about issues similar to her own, Lovato was announced in April 2011 as a Contributing Editor to Seventeen magazine. She will discuss her personal issues as a part of a larger campaign called "Love is Louder than the Pressure to Be Perfect", directed towards teen girls.
On December 23, 2011, Lovato posted a message on Twitter criticizing her former network for airing episodes of Shake It Up and So Random! which featured characters making jokes about eating disorders. Disney Channel publicity officials quickly took action and apologized to Lovato, then removed those episodes from the network's airing cycle and video on demand sources, after further criticism in the wake of Lovato's message to the network's public relations account.On March 2012, Lovato released her MTV documentary special called "Stay Strong" about her time in rehab. In the documentary, she opened up about her fans, battling her eating disorders and getting back to touring.
As a solo musical artist, Lovato released her debut album Don't Forget on September 23, 2008. The album debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 selling 89,000 copies in the first week. It has since shipped over 500,000 copies, earning a gold certification in the United States. Lovato released her second album, Here We Go Again, on July 21, 2009. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, selling 108,000 copies in the first week Her third studio album, Unbroken, was released on September 20, 2011 and peaked at number four on the Billboard 200. She is working on her fourth studio album. In Fall 2012, Lovato will be a judge on the second season of the American version of The X Factor.
Lovato was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico on August 20, 1992, and raised in Dallas, Texas] She is the daughter of Dianna Hart de la Garza (born Dianna Lee Smith) and Patrick Martin Lovato. Her ancestry includes Mexican, Irish, Italian, and English. She has an older sister, Dallas Lovato, and a younger half-sister, Madison de la Garza, from her mother's re-marriage. Her mother was a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader and country music recording artist. Lovato began playing piano at the age of seven. Lovato also began her acting career at the age of seven on the children's television series Barney & Friends as Angela, appearing in seasons seven and eight alongside long time friend Selena Gomez. In an interview with Ellen DeGeneres, Lovato revealed going through painful experiences with bullying in the seventh grade. Lovato stated in an interview with 20/20 in 2011 that she had had a "really unhealthy relationship with food" since age 8 due to bullying experienced as a child, and self-mutilated her wrists to cope with her emotions and depression since age 11. In an interview with Fabulous Magazine UK, she said that: "They called me a whore and told me I was fat and ugly. I shouldn't have listened, but I took it to heart and it hurt. I thought maybe I didn't have friends because I was too fat," she remembers. So she starved herself, and anything she did eat, she threw up again. Within six months she had lost over 2st (28 lbs) and weighed 6st 4 lb (88 lbs) - unhealthy for her 5 ft 2in height. "I'd make myself sick up to six times a day," she says. "My mum was worried, but because I was going through puberty I was having growth spurts so she assumed that was why I was thinner." According to Lovato, the bullying was so bad that one day, in a fit of frustration and distress, she requested her mom give her a home-schooled education. Lovato earned a high school diploma through homeschooling in April 2009. Lovato later became a spokesperson for anti-bullying organization PACER and appeared on America's Next Top Model and CNN to speak out against bullying.
In 2006, Lovato guest starred on Prison Break as Danielle Curtin in the episode "First Down." She also appeared in the second season of the television sitcom Just Jordan as Nicole, in the episode "Slippery When Wet." In January 2007, she landed the role of Charlotte Adams on the Disney Channel Original Short Series, As the Bell Rings, which premiered on August 26, 2007. A few of her original songs, including "Shadow", were featured on the show. In the summer of 2007, Lovato auditioned for the Disney Channel television film Camp Rock and the television series Sonny with a Chance in the same day and got both parts. For Camp Rock, she submitted an audition tape and Gary Marsh, Disney's president of entertainment, asked her to sing. She sang Christina Aguilera's "Ain't No Other Man", and Hollywood Records senior vice president Bob Cavallo said that their "jaws just dropped". Lovato received the lead role in Camp Rock, and a record deal with Hollywood Records in early 2008. In Camp Rock she played Mitchie Torres, a fourteen-year-old girl with hopes of becoming a singer. The movie premiered on June 20, 2008, in the United States on the Disney Channel with 8.9 million viewers, making Lovato a household name among young viewers. Its Disney Channel Italy premier received 1.14 million viewers on September 2008.
Starting in 2009, Lovato appeared as Sonny Munroe in the Disney channel comedy Sonny With a Chance. The show featured Lovato as the newest cast member on the show-within-a-show So Random!. The series debuted on February 8, 2009 in the United States. This is the first Disney Channel Original Series to be shot and aired in high-definition from the beginning; like most of Disney Channel's sitcoms, it is shot on tape, but uses a "filmized" appearance. The second season, some scenes are shot on location. The series is one of three Disney Channel Original Series to feature a show-within-a-show, with the others being The Famous Jett Jackson and Shake It Up. The series officially ended on January 2, 2011. Gary Marsh, president of entertainment, Disney Channel Worldwide, stated "This series is rooted in one of the core thematic attributes that we stand for, which is following your dreams, there also was the opportunity to do a hybrid show." The show began production on September 15, 2008 and the first season was taped at Stage 11 at NBC Studios in Burbank, California; for the second season, the show's production moved to Hollywood Center Studios in Hollywood, California, where The Suite Life on Deck, Wizards of Waverly Place and Jonas L.A. are also taped. In June 2009 Lovato co-starred in Princess Protection Program as Princess Rosalinda alongside Selena Gomez on the Disney Channel. The made-for-television movie is the third highest rated Disney Channel Original Movie, premiering on the Disney Channel with 9.8 million viewers. Laura Fries of Variety magazine describes the film as being "light as a summer breeze on the Louisiana bayou". Although the film does not stray far from the Disney formula, she praises writer Annie DeYoung for providing young girls a nice message about self-esteem. She says the film should be a hit with the channel's target audience.
In September 2009, production began for Camp Rock's sequel, Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam. The Disney Channel Original Movie premiered on September 3, 2010. The film was watched by 7.9 million viewers on its premiere night, about 1 million less viewers than its predecessor. In 2010 it also became the most watched cable television programme that week, as well as the No. 1 movie by number of viewers on 2010's cable television. In its second broadcast on September 4, the film reached 3.7 million viewers. The film also reached 21 million unique viewers over its premiere weekend from September 3 to September 6. In its UK premiere on September 17, 2010 in was watched by 637,000 viewers. The film received generally mixed reviews. The review aggregate website Rotten Tomatoes reported that 40% of critics gave the film mixed reviews, based on 5 reviews (3 'Rotten' and 2 'Fresh'), with an average score of 6.1/10. The film currently holds an 8.7 rating, earning it a "Great" film rating on TV.com. Lovato appeared as a guest star in an episode of the medical drama series Grey's Anatomy as a teenage patient named Hayley May, whose parents brought her in for schizophrenia In a review of the episode, EW.com praised her performance, stating, "I still believe that even an unbiased observer would conclude that the Disney princess did a fine job acting it up as a suicidal 16-year-old who was admitted after trying to claw her own eyes out." On April 19, 2011, People.com reported that Demi Lovato would not be returning for the third season of Sonny With a Chance due to her health issues. As a result, the show will be renamed So Random! and focus only on the sketches rather than the behind-the-scenes antics. As a result of Lovato's departure from Sonny with a Chance, the series is the second Disney Channel original series to have its lead actor/actress leave during the series' run (after So Weird), and the fourth Disney Channel series to have a main cast member leave the series during its run (with That's So Raven and Jonas L.A. also included ). The third season was then turned into its own new series based on its new format. On leaving the show, Lovato satated "...it's kind of sad for me that a chapter of my life has ended but there couldn't be a better time for me to move on...I don't think going back to Sonny would be healthy for my recovery...Being in front of a camera would make me nervous."
Lovato said in an April 2012 interview with KOKO POP UK that music is currently her "top priority", but that she is "kind of getting the itch to get back into acting, so we'll see what comes next." In an interview with Fabulous Magazine UK, Lovato said she will not come back to acting until she is fully confident. "I need to be secure in my body before I go back in front of the camera. Anyone in recovery from an eating disorder would find that triggering, and I'm not ready," she says.
Lovato's music career began in 2007, when several of her original songs, including "Shadow", were included on the mini-series As the Bell Rings. In 2008, Lovato signed with Hollywood Records after getting the lead role in the film Camp Rock. She provided vocals on four of the songs featured on the Camp Rock soundtrack, including "We Rock", "Who Will I Be", "Our Time Is Here" and "This Is Me" featuring Joe Jonas. The song peaked at #9 on the Billboard Hot 100 and peaked at the top 20 in Australia, Canada and Norway. The soundtrack was released on June 24, 2008. The song peaked at number 3 on the US Billboard 200 and topped the US Billboard Top Soundtracks and peaked at the top 10 in Canada, Italy, Mexico, New Zealand and Spain. The soundtrack has sold over 1 million copies and was certified Platinum in the United States. Full songs of the album were made available on Camp Rock's official web site for one week, beginning June 10, 2008, and the full soundtrack premiered on Radio Disney on June 14, 2008 during Planet Premiere: Camp Rock. The soundtrack was released in the UK on July 14, 2008.The soundtrack album (both original and two-disc collector's edition) is an enhanced CD which contains a clip of an acoustic version of "This Is Me" when played on the computer with internet access. On November 16, 2008, a karaoke/instrumental version of the Camp Rock soundtrack was released. It is not available on iTunes, but can be purchased in stores such as Wal-Mart, Target, etc. In June and July 2008, Lovato performed at various House of Blues and parks for her Demi Live! Warm Up Tour in preparation for the release of her debut album and the Burnin' Up Tour with the Jonas Brothers. Lovato served as the support act on the Jonas Brothers' Burnin' Up Tour from July through September 2008.
Lovato's debut album, Don't Forget was released on September 23, 2008. The bulk of the album was co-written with the Jonas Brothers, who also produced the album with John Fields. They co-wrote ten songs in a week during the band's headlining Look Me in the Eyes Tour. The album is of the pop-rock genre and is lyrically similar to other teen-pop albums. It peaked at number two on the Billboard 200, selling 89,000 units in its first week of release. It has since sold over 500,000 records in the US. Critics noticed the distinct sound of the Jonas Brothers in the production of the album. Don't Forget spawned two singles. The first single released was "Get Back". It was written by Lovato, the Jonas Brothers, and produced by the Jonas Brothers alongside John Fields. The song features Jack Lawless on drums and John Taylor and the Jonas Brothers on guitars. It was released as the album's lead single on August 12, 2008, by Hollywood Records. The song was met with positive reviews from critics and performed average commercially, peaking at number forty-three on the Billboard Hot 100. The second and final single, "La La Land", was released on April 10, 2009 through Hollywood Records. It was written by Lovato and the Jonas Brothers, and produced by the Jonas Brothers alongside John Fields. The song was met with positive reviews from critics. Commercially, the song peaked at number fifty-two on the Billboard Hot 100. Lovato joined Disney's Friends for Change, an organization which promotes "environmently-friendly behavior," and appears in its public service announcements to raise awareness for the cause on the Disney Channel. Lovato, Selena Gomez, Miley Cyrus, and the Jonas Brothers recorded "Send It On," a charity single that served as the theme song for the organization in 2009. The song debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 at #20. Disney's Friends for Change directed all of its proceeds from "Send It On" to environmental charities to the Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund. In October 2009, she collaborated again with the Jonas Brothers and appeared on the music video on YouTube for the song called Bounce under her alter-ego, MC D Love. in 2010, Lovato and Joe Jonas recored a song called "Make a Wave", a second charity single that currently serves as the theme song for Disney's Friends for Change.
Lovato embarked on the Summer Tour 2009 to promote her second album, Here We Go Again, released in the summer of 2009. The album debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 with 108,000 records sold in its first week. The album was more inspired by acoustic music, such as John Mayer's songs, than her debut's pop rock-influenced sound. The album received favorable reviews from critics, Billboard called Lovato "a natural talent who could really take flight after outgrowing Disney." Allmusic ranked Here We Go Again as one of the best pop albums of 2009. The album was preceded by the lead single, "Here We Go Again," which was released on June 23, 2009. It was written by Isaac Hasson, Lindy Robbins and Mher Filian and produced by SuperSpy, for Lovato's second studio album of the same name (2009). It was released as the album's lead single on June 23, 2009, through Hollywood Records. The song received positive reviews from critics, who praised its pop hook and made comparisons with works by Kelly Clarkson. The song peaked at number 15 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became Lovato's first top 40 hit on the chart as a solo artist. The album's second and final single, "Remember December," was released on November 17, 2009. It was written by John Fields, Lovato and Anne Preven, and produced by Fields. The song was released as the album's second and final single outside North America on January 18, 2010, through Hollywood Records. The song received generally positive reviews from music critics; the majority of them praised its hook and chorus. Several critics also named it one of the album's standouts. The song underperformed commercially; it only managed to reach #6 on Billboard's Bubbling Under Hot 100 (number 106 on the Hot 100) and it peaked at number 80 on the UK Singles Chart. Lovato's South American Tour was her first international headlining tour. The tour commenced on May 23, 2010, in Santiago, Chile, and concluded on May 28, 2010, in São Paulo, Brazil. She later joined the Jonas Brothers Live in Concert tour as a special guest.
The soundtrack, Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam, was released on August 10, 2010. She provided vocals on nine of the songs featured on the soundtrack, including "Brand New Day", "Can't Back Down", "It's On", "You're My Favorite Song", "What We Came Here For", "This Is Our Song", "Different Summers", "It's Not Too Late" and "Wouldn't Change a Thing". The song was released on July 31, 2010. The song was released as the soundtrack's fourth single. The song failed to chart in the US Billboard Hot 100 but peaked at number 10on the US Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart. The soundtrack peaked at number 3 on the US Billboard 200 and topped the US Billboard Top Soundtracks, and peaked at the top 10 in Brazil, Canada, Italy and Spain. The soundtrack has sold over 500,000 copies and was certified Gold in the United States. The tour is actually Jonas Brothers' 2010 World Tour, which special guests are Demi Lovato and the cast of Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam. The Camp Rock 2 Tour is officially called Jonas Brothers 2010 World Tour/Camp Rock 2 Tour. Meaghan Martin was not be on tour due to filming a movie. The tour started on August 7, 2010, two weeks later than planned.
Lovato's third studio album, Unbroken, was released on September 20, 2011. Lovato began working on the album in July 2010, prior to receiving treatment. She had described it as having a more soulful and R&B inspired sound, citing Keri Hilson and Rihanna as inspirations for the sound. After Lovato's stint in the treatment facility, producer Timbaland expressed interest in working with her. Lovato confirmed in July 2011 that she was working on a duet with the producer. The album was described as more "radio friendly" than her previous albums, as she planned to incorporate dance, hip-hop and R&B styles in it. The album received mixed to positive reviews from music critics, praising Lovato's vocals and growth in musicianship compared to her previous two albums, as well as some of the album's ballad tracks. The first single off the album, "Skyscraper", premiered on July 12, 2011, as a promotional single, before the album released. It was written by Toby Gad, Lindy Robbins and Kerli Kõiv and produced by Gad. The song was very well received by music critics and also by the media, with the majority of them praising Lovato's vocals and the inspirational lyrics. Upon its release, it was also met with praise from celebrities on the microblogging site Twitter. The song debuted at number ten on the Billboard Hot 100, spending a total of 17 weeks on the chart. The song became Lovato's highest-peaking single on the chart since "This Is Me" peaked at number nine in August 2008. The album's second single, "Give Your Heart a Break", was officially released on January 23, 2012. The track was written and produced by American songwriters Josh Alexander and Billy Steinberg. The song received critical acclaim from contemporary music critics, praising the production as well as Lovato's vocals. The single debuted at number seventy on the US Billboard Hot 100, and has so far peaked at number 22, while becoming her biggest radio single to date. The song has sold over 1,000,000 digital copies and was officially certified Platinum in the United States on August 15, 2012. Lovato revealed her Summer Tour 2012 and will begin on June 12, 2012 and end on September 1, 2012. On July 31, 2012, "Skyscraper" was nominated for "Best Video With a Message" at the 2012 MTV Video Music Awards, making this Lovato's first VMA nomination.
On April 4, 2012, it was reported that Lovato is working on her fourth studio album. On that same day, Lovato said that she would like to do a duet with Miley Cyrus. On April 5, 2012, Lovato confirmed on Twitter that writing for the album had began, saying that she was "so excited to start writing for my fourth album", and that "this time, there's NO holding back.." On April 8, 2012, Lovato stated that she had "just wrote a song I will never be able to release. *sigh*".
Lovato has partnered with mall proprietor GGP as the face of Shop Til You Rock, a music-inspired series of public events, which kick off at malls around the US in Summer 2010. The combines the season’s hottest fashions & today’s most popular musical guests in a series of interactive events. Lovato is also the spokesperson for anti-bullying organization PACER. Lovato explained to NY Post about becoming a spokesperson against bullying “Bullying is a very serious thing to me, I’ve witnessed it first hand – I was bullied myself when I was 12, I want to be able to help other girls around [my sister’s] age come into their own with a strong confidence in their skin, their size, who they are and everything about themselves.” Lovato is also the spokesperson for the Join the Surge Campaign!, DoSomething.Org and the Clean & Clear Brand launched Joining the Surge, which is a national campaign that empowers teenagers to take action in their communities.
Lovato is involved in Disney's Friends for Change, an organization which promotes "environmently-friendly behavior", and appears in its public service announcements to raise awareness for the cause on the Disney Channel. Lovato, Selena Gomez, Miley Cyrus, and the Jonas Brothers recorded "Send It On", a charity single which serves as the theme song for Disney's Friends for Change in 2009. The song debuted on the Hot 100 at number twenty. Disney's Friends For Change will direct all of its proceeds from "Send it On" to environmental charities to the Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund. Lovato and Joe Jonas recorded a new song called "Make a Wave", the second charity single which serves as the theme song for Disney's Friends for Change in 2010. In January 2010, Lovato was one of the many stars featured in a public service announcement for Voto Latino in order to promote the organization's "Be Counted" campaign for the 2010 United States Census. Lovato is also part of the "A Day Made Better" School Advocacy Campaign. "The campaign is giving a deserving teacher with $1,000 in school supplies on behalf of OfficeMax’s “A Day Made Better” school advocacy campaign." Lovato has also supported charities such as DonateMyDress.org, Kids Wish Network, Love Our Children USA, ST. Jude Children's Research Hospital, and City of Hope. To raise awareness about personal issues similar to her own, Lovato became a Contributing Editor to Seventeen magazine. She will discuss her personal issues as a part of a larger campaign called "Love is Louder than the Pressure to Be Perfect", directed towards teen girls. Lovato has been honored The Honorary Ambassador of Education award from the American Partnership For Eosinophilic Disorders.
In 2012, rumors that Lovato and Miley Cyrus were in talks to be replacement judges on the season two of the American version of The X Factor, in hopes of luring a younger audience, began circulating. Lovato reportedly signed a deal to judge the show on May 13, 2012. On May 14, 2012, it was officially confirmed that Spears and Lovato would join The X Factor USA as the two newest judges. When asked about the new judges, Cowell said: "I'm absolutely delighted Britney and Demi are joining us. Britney remains one of the biggest stars in the world, she's talented, fascinating – and I believe she knows exactly how to spot The X Factor. Demi's had an amazing career in music, TV and film for someone her age. She's young, confident, and enthusiastic. I think it’s really important that she speaks to our younger audience. The new panel will be dynamic and will work really well with the changes we are making to the show." Growing up, her musical influences were Aretha Franklin, Billie Holiday, Whitney Houston, Kelly Clarkson and Christina Aguilera.
In an MTV interview, Lovato stated that she likes metal music, particularly black metal and metalcore. She called symphonic black metal band Dimmu Borgir "one of her favorite live acts". On the July 24, 2009 episode of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, Lovato stated that three of her favorite bands were metalcore/symphonic black metal band Abigail Williams, deathcore band Job for a Cowboy and southern metal band Maylene and the Sons of Disaster. On another episode of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, after the release of Unbroken, she stated that she is now more into hip-hop and R&B styles of music, and has moved on from death metal. Her favorite R&B artist is Rihanna because she thinks her voice is "amazing" and she "loves all the songs she [Rihanna] performs".
Lovato's vocals has been critically acclaimed from music critics. Nick Levine of Digital Spy commented on Lovato's vocals on the album, Don't Forget: "she's certainly a stronger singer than the Jonases. In fact, her full-bodied vocal performances are consistently impressive." Jeff Miers from The Buffalo News commented about Lovato's vocals on the album, Here We Go Again: "Unlike so many of her Disney-fied peers, Lovato can really sing, and part of what makes her sophomore effort appealing is the lack of in-studio vocal manipulation." Miers further wrote that it is "refreshing" that Lovato does not need Auto-Tune "to mask any lack of natural ability". Singer and producer Ryan Tedder who worked on her album, Unbroken said of her voice: "Demi blew me out of the water vocally! I had no idea how good her voice is. She's one of the best singers I've ever worked with. Literally, that good... I mean, she's a Kelly Clarkson-level vocalist. And Kelly has a set of pipes." Becky Brain of Idolator wrote Lovato has a "killer voice and the A-list material to put it to good use".
She wrote the song "For the Love of a Daughter" about her estranged father. According to Fabulous Magazine UK, the song is about the rift between Lovato and her father after he - seemingly keen to cash in on his daughter's notoriety - did a series of interviews about her. The betrayal is still raw, and she says she has no interest in rebuilding a relationship with him. In the March 2009 issue of Teen Vogue, Lovato stated, "My first passion is music, because it comes naturally to me. Acting has been like a hobby."[95] Lovato is a Christian and prays with her band before they perform. She has described herself as very spiritual rather than very religious and said she believes in God.
She was best friends with Selena Gomez, whom she has known since Lovato "asked her to sit on my jacket and draw with crayons with me" at the Barney & Friends auditions. On March 12, 2010, Lovato confirmed that she had begun dating Joe Jonas, whom she first met while filming Camp Rock in 2007. On May 24, 2010, Lovato confirmed via her official Twitter that she and Jonas were no longer together. In an interview with UsMagazine, Jonas stated, "Demi and I knew that going into our romantic relationship it may not be an easy one. I realize that over the time we have spent together that I feel I care more about our friendship right now. It was my choice to break up, but I love her as a friend. She's been there for me when I needed her. I will continue to be her friend and be there for her." Lovato was a vegetarian, but since entering treatment, she has started eating meat. Lovato dated actor Wilmer Valderrama on and off in 2011.
In 2010, on her 18th birthday, Lovato bought her family a Mediterranean Style house in Los Angeles. She said, "For me to give that to my family on my birthday, that was the best present." then added, "It's got pretty much everything you could possibly imagine in it. It's the most beautiful, homey-feeling house. I love it." Lovato also purchased their current $1.88 million home in Toluca Lake, LA. She bought the house when she was 16 years old.
On October 30, 2010, Lovato dropped out of the Jonas Brothers Live in Concert World Tour 2010 in order to enter a treatment facility to treat "physical and emotional issues". The tour was not scheduled to be complete until November 13, 2010. Lovato's publicist stated that "she regrets not being able to finish her tour, but is looking forward to getting back to work in the near future." In particular, many media sources immediately reported that Lovato had decided to enter treatment right after punching a Jonas Brothers back-up dancer, Alex Welch, on a flight out of Bogotá, Colombia, allegedly because Lovato believed that Welch had informed tour managers of inappropriate behaviour on Lovato's part the previous night, causing Lovato to be confronted by her managers and her stepfather, Eddie de la Garza. Lovato's camp reached a financial settlement with Welch in late December 2010, with Welch stating that the agreement stipulated for a portion of the settlement to be donated to charity.
On January 28, 2011, it was reported that Lovato had completed her inpatient treatment at the rehab facility and returned home to Los Angeles, where she would "continue to see doctors" to "help her work on the issues she confronted in treatment." The day after the announcement, a Disney spokesperson told People that Disney "support[s] Demi's decision to put her health first and [they] send her [their] best wishes". On March 8, 2011 an exclusive video was released on Cambio.com in which Lovato thanked her fans for their support during what she described as "the darkest time of my life" and also stated that she was excited to get back to work.[109] Lovato granted her first post-rehab interview to ABC newscaster Robin Roberts, which aired on Good Morning America and 20/20 on April 22, 2011. During the interview, Lovato confirmed reports that her treatment was for bulimia and self-injury, and had taken place at the Timberline Knolls facility in Illinois after the aforementioned confrontation between her and Welch led to an intervention by her family and management team. Her condition came to a head during the tour because Lovato "was performing concerts on an empty stomach...I was losing my voice from purging. I was self-medicating. I was not taking medication for depression, and I literally was so emotionally whacked out that I took it out on someone that meant a lot to me." Later elaborating on this "self-medicating", Lovato said, "I'm not gonna lie. I was self-medicating. I was doing things like drinking and using [drugs], like a lot of teens do to numb their pain."Lovato expressed regret at her actions towards Welch, stating "I take 100 percent, full responsibility..." In another interview, Lovato added that she had "basically had a nervous breakdown",and was also diagnosed with bipolar disorder during her treatment.As part of her efforts to raise awareness about issues similar to her own, Lovato was announced in April 2011 as a Contributing Editor to Seventeen magazine. She will discuss her personal issues as a part of a larger campaign called "Love is Louder than the Pressure to Be Perfect", directed towards teen girls.
On December 23, 2011, Lovato posted a message on Twitter criticizing her former network for airing episodes of Shake It Up and So Random! which featured characters making jokes about eating disorders. Disney Channel publicity officials quickly took action and apologized to Lovato, then removed those episodes from the network's airing cycle and video on demand sources, after further criticism in the wake of Lovato's message to the network's public relations account.On March 2012, Lovato released her MTV documentary special called "Stay Strong" about her time in rehab. In the documentary, she opened up about her fans, battling her eating disorders and getting back to touring.
