Demi Lovato's Ups and Downs Over the Years: Music, Addiction, More

Throughout their time in the spotlight, Demi Lovato has experienced both highs and lows. From musical success to being open about their addiction struggles, and even public romances, the “Don’t Forget” singer has been through it all.

Demi got their start on Barney and Friends before making a name for themself on Disney Channel. After starring in both Sonny With a Chance and the Camp Rock film franchise, they became a major star. Over the years, Demi has also dropped seven studio albums that included major bops like “Skyscraper,” “Heart Attack,” “Confident” and more.

When it comes to their love life, the actor-turned-singer made headlines after kicking off a relationship with Max Ehrich amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The duo got engaged in July 2020 and called it quits nearly two months later.

“The dissolvement of that relationship was actually probably the best thing that’s happened to me, because of what that led inside of myself,” Demi said while appearing at “The 19th Represents Summit” in August 2021. “I was able to stand on my own two feet without needing someone else to validate me or to make me feel accepted.”

They continued, “When I said goodbye to that relationship, I also said goodbye to everything that was holding me back from being my most authentic self.”

In May 2021, the singer came out as non-binary during the premiere episode of their “4D With Demi Lovato” podcast.

“I’ve spent the majority of my life growing in front of all of you … You’ve seen the good, the bad and everything in between. Not only has my life been a journey for myself, [but] I was also living for those on the other side of the cameras. Today is a day I’m so happy to share more of my life with you all — I am proud to let you know that I identify as non-binary and will officially be changing my pronouns to they/them moving forward,” the former Disney star shared via Instagram at the time. “I feel that this best represents the fluidity I feel in my gender expression and allows me to feel most authentic and true to the person I both know I am, and still am discovering.”

Since coming out and opening up about their past addiction struggles in the YouTube docuseries Dancing With the Devil, Demi has launched a talk show, was cast in an upcoming TV show and released more music. Scroll through our gallery to see the singer’s ups and downs over the years.

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Better Place

“You know, positivity is something that’s come a lot easier to me over the recent months, I think I’m just like in such a better place,” Demi told SiriusXM’s The Morning Mash Up in July 2022. “I think that being clearheaded without anything in my system just like gives me the will to live and gives me so much to look forward to. Like now I wake up on Mondays and I’m like, ‘Oh my God, there’s a whole week ahead of me.’ Like, that’s so exciting. Monday, you know what I’m saying?”

They continued, “I wish there was some like tidbit of information that I could give you guys to like help everyone think that way, ’cause it really is so nice,” they explained. “But I think like when you focus on yourself and you do the work, like I’m, I’m doing therapy, I’m doing all the things that I need to be doing in order to stay in a good place. If you focus on yourself, like you’ll get there and if you, if you aren’t already.”

Addiction Struggles

“I’m not gonna lie. I was self-medicating,” they told Seventeen during a February 2012 interview. “I was doing things like drinking and using [drugs], like a lot of teens do to numb their pain.”

Over the years, Demi has shared more of an insight into their addiction struggles and stints in rehab.

Relapses

Before their six-year sobriety anniversary, Demi recalled relapsing in April 2018.

“I remember thinking to myself, I don’t even know why I’m sober anymore. I’m so miserable,” they said in their YouTube docuseries. “It wasn’t even 30 minutes before I called someone that I knew had drugs on them.”

2018 Overdose

In July 2018, the singer overdosed and looked back at the experience during their YouTube documentary explaining that they had “crossed a line that I had never crossed before.”

“I had three strokes. I had a heart attack,” they revealed during Dancing With the Devil. “My doctors said that I had five to 10 more minutes [to live].”

Talking About Sexuality

“When I started getting older, I started realizing how queer I really am,” they told Glamour in March 2021. “This past year I was engaged to a man, and when it didn’t work, I was like, ‘This is a huge sign.’ I thought I was going to spend my life with someone. Now that I wasn’t going to, I felt this sense of relief that I could live my truth.”