Demi Lovato Addresses Old Wounds in New Documentary
Demi Lovato makes her directorial debut in Child Star, a new documentary that will air on Hulu on September 17 and details celebrities’ childhood experiences with fame.
Lovato did a photoshoot to promote her upcoming documentary.
The musician opened up to The Hollywood Reporter on what to expect from the upcoming documentary and how it sets itself apart from other films regarding fame.
The 90-minute project will feature interviews with other former child stars, such as Drew Barrymore, Christina Ricci, Jojo Siwa, Kenan Thompson, and Alyson Stoner.
Demi Lovato’s directorial debut, ‘Child Star’, will premiere Sept 17th on Hulu.
— Buzzing Pop (@BuzzingPop) July 31, 2024
It examines the highs and lows of growing up in the spotlight and features heart-breaking conversations with Drew Barrymore, Kenan Thompson, Christina Ricci, Raven-Symoné, JoJo Siwa and Alyson… pic.twitter.com/V4Wf38TyCu
The film does not set out to blame a specific person or company but rather “a history lesson on child stardom,” Michael D. Ratner states. Co-director Nicola Marsh believes the film is “a macro look at what happens when you ‘give a really serious job to a really young kid and suddenly they’re making way more money than their parents.'”
The first recorded interview was with Raven Symoné. The two met when the Raven’s Home actress guest starred on Sonny With a Chance.
Lovato interviewed Barrymore, known for her role in E.T. at six years old. This isn’t the first time the “Cool for the Summer” singer interviewed her, as she had interviewed her a few years prior on her podcast. They discussed their craving for boundaries they didn’t find in their childhoods with drugs and alcohol.
In the interview, it is revealed that Alyson Stoner went through a sensitive courting process: “My concern was that it would fall under the umbrella of sensationalized E! True Hollywood stories that then actually perpetuated what I call the toddler-to-train wreck pipeline,” Stoner expresses.
The two hadn’t spoken in years and did a “healing” sit-down before the interview. While the cameras were rolling, the former Disney stars shared the emotional toll of the squeaky clean image pushed onto them in their youth.
Lovato explains, “At Disney, you became this instant role model, whether you liked it or not. And because Disney Channel was so big at the time, there was also this unspoken pressure that if you did make a mistake, you knew that there were millions of people just waiting to take your spot.”
The actress reveals they only remember a little after the first Camp Rock film. “I think I’d passed the threshold of what I could withstand emotionally and physically. And I didn’t realize that child stardom could be traumatic — and it isn’t traumatic for everyone, but for me, it was,” Lovato states.
The “Heart Attack” singer feels immense sadness for her behavior as a teenager. She expresses, “I think about people in the wardrobe department on my TV show because I’d go in there in bad moods all the time, and I worry about guest stars that came on or the other actors or the people during Camp Rock 2. And it’s easy to excuse that behavior because I was so young and in so much pain, but I’m really remorseful, and that’s a guilt that stays with you forever.”
Lovato and her producers reached out to activist Chris McCarty and Washington State Representative Kristine Reeves, who are working on proposed legislation that would “legally require parents of child influencers to set aside a healthy portion of their earnings until those children reach adulthood.”
When it comes to the singer’s future, she plans to have children someday. If her children want to follow in her footsteps, Lovato explains, “I’d say, ‘Let’s study music theory and prepare you for the day you turn 18, because it’s not happening before that. 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.’ ’And also, let’s come up with a backup plan.'” Lovato revealed that she wished she had devised a backup plan because she still relies on music as an income.
The “29” singer has returned to acting in the upcoming film Tow, starring opposite Dominic Sessa and Rose Byrne as a pregnant woman. She is also back in the studio recording new music. For now, Lovato feels the most at peace she’s ever been. “I don’t need the industry as much as I once did, and I’m proud of myself for getting here,” she expresses.
While fans wait for Child Star, they can watch Lovato’s video with The Hollywood Reporter below.
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