This story discusses suicide. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by dialing 988.
Demi Lovato revealed a dark side of becoming famous at a young age in her upcoming documentary, “Child Actor.”
Lovato explored her childhood and what was happening behind the scenes in conversations with other former child stars, including Drew Barrymore, Kenan Thompson, Raven-Symoné and others.
“The popular girls signed a suicide petition,” the 32-year-old singer claimed in a trailer for the Hulu documentary. “Saying that I should kill myself.”
The trailer didn’t include any additional details.
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The documentary, which Lovato directed, also featured a conversation between the actress and Barrymore about when they were first introduced to drugs. Barrymore claimed to be 10 years old.
At one point, someone asked Lovato if she had the choice to do it all over again, would it be worth it?
“There definitely is not a manual on how to navigate this industry at such a young age,” Lovato said in the trailer. “I wouldn’t end up where I am had I not made all the choices leading up to this point. But it came at a price.”
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“When I got into the industry at a young age, I guess, there was a conscious decision of, ‘Are you OK sacrificing a normal childhood for your hopes and dreams,'” Lovato told The Hollywood Reporter.
Lovato landed a role in “Barney & Friends” at the age of 6. She began her career as a Disney Channel star with a role in “As the Bell Rings.” Lovato appeared in 15 episodes before “Camp Rock” would shoot her to stardom in 2008. The actress was 15 years old when she starred alongside the Jonas Brothers — Kevin Jonas, Joe Jonas and Nick Jonas.
She released her first album, “Don’t Forget,” that same year.
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In 2010, Lovato filmed “Princess Protection Program” with Selena Gomez before filming “Camp Rock 2.” Things began to fall apart on the “Camp Rock 2” tour. Lovato was 17 at that time and was drinking alcohol and doing drugs, namely Adderall, according to her YouTube documentary, “Simply Complicated.” Lovato punched a backup dancer who revealed the actress’s drug use, leading her to check into rehab.
“I think I’d passed the threshold of what I could withstand emotionally and physically,” she told The Hollywood Reporter. “And I didn’t realize that child stardom could be traumatic. And it isn’t traumatic for everyone, but, for me, it was.
“At Disney, you became this instant role model, whether you liked it or not,” Lovato explained. “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.”
Lovato’s documentary premieres on Hulu Sept. 17.
