Tragic Demi and the curse of the Disney child stars
She appeared to S have turned her life around after a turbulent battle with alcohol and drug addiction, marking six years of sobriety in March.
But just a month after admitting in a new song that she had since relapsed, Hollywood superstar Demi Lovato, 25, was found unconscious at her LA home following a suspected heroin overdose. Soon after the news broke, a rep confirmed that she was awake and recovering with her family, and a flood of A-listers took to Twitter to show their support.
Kerry Perry Tweeted, “love & strength to you @ddlovato we’re all here for you baby girl”, while Kim Kardashian added, “Sending lots of light and prayers to you baby girl @ddlovato.”
Demi found fame at just 16 after starring in the 2008 Disney Channel film Camp Rock. But behind her squeaky-clean image, her life was spiralling out of control and she admitted to cracking under the pressure of being a teenage role model. She first tried cocaine at just 17, while working on the Disney Channel show
Sonny With A Chance.
By 18, she was forced to withdraw from a tour with the Jonas Brothers to enter rehab for “physical and emotional issues” and was diagnosed with bipolar disorder – later admitting she had experienced suicidal thoughts from the age of seven.
But she admitted she “wasn’t ready” to get sober after her first stint in rehab, describing the two months after she checked out as a “bender” where she abused drugs daily.
After consuming a cocktail of cocaine and Xanax (a treatment for anxiety disorders) one night, she admitted, “I started to choke a little bit and my heart started racing. I remember thinking, ‘Oh my God, I might be overdosing right now’”.
She got clean in 2012 after her management threatened to drop her, handing over her phone to cut off access to drug dealers and moving Demi into a “sober” apartment to help her get clean.
Late last year, Demi – who has admitted to past bouts of bulimia – also revealed she had relapsed with her eating disorder following the end of her six-year relationship with actor Wilmer Valderrama in 2016.
But Demi’s not the only child star to battle demons behind closed doors. Here, Closer explores the darker side of fame…