New York Post

Demi’s demons

How rehab-bound Lovato fell off the wagon abetted by Hollywood hangers-on

- By DANAA SCHUSTER

Demi Lovato is reportedly­dly on her way out of a Los An-Angeles hospital and into drugrug rehab following a July 24 overdose. But insiders worryrry that the hangers-on who en-enabled and facilitate­d her fallfall off the wagon may make their way back into the star’sar’s inner circle.

Since news broke that the singer, 25, had OD’d, fans have been speculatin­g on social media about who might have been a negative influenceu­ence on the pop star. Lovato had allegedly been partyingng for 12 hours straight before overdosing. (She reportedly­dly refused to reveal to para-paramedics what drugs she hadd taken.)

Sources told The Post that, in recent months, Lovato has fallen in with a group of enablers who partied so hard, they kept the rescue drug NarcanNarc­an on hand during binges. Narcan is used to stop thee effects of opioids (including heroin, oxycodone and fentanyl)ntanyl) and can be administer­ed intravenou­sly, injected into muscle or sprayed up the nose.

It was reportedly used by paramedics after Lovato’s bodyguard found her unconsciou­snconsciou­s at home. TMZ reported thathat Lovato’s bodyguard administer­ed first aid and propped up the star to clear her airway.

“There’s a crew of peopleople in Hollywood [that], whenn you want to party, you find yourselfur­self hanging out with these hang-hanger-on friends and they leadd you into [the party life] moree and it’s a downward spiral,” saidaid a music producer who has worked with talent includingd­ing Selena Gomez, a longtimeim­e friend of Lovato’s.

“Demi was very vulner- nerable.”

Lovato has been openen about her struggles foror years — candidly discuss-ing her drug and alcoholl addictions, bipolar diag-nosis, and cutting. In a 2013 interview, she saidd she used to sneak drugss onto jet flights and couldn’tn’t go 30 minutes without co-cocaine. In 2017 she revealedle­d that she first used coke at age 17 while working on Disneyisne­y Channel projects.

But in March, she celebrated­brated six years of sobriety. An industrynd­ustry insider said that alcohol had been strictly banned during herr “Tell Me You Love Me” tour.

“You couldn’t have anythingny­thing near her. She had to be out of thehe building or miles away for anyone too be drinking anything,” said the insider.r

Heather Jo Clark, who trainedrai­ned Lovato last year at Unbreakabl­e Performanc­eerformanc­e in Los Angeles where Lovatoto boxed and did martial arts, told The Post that nutri- . tionist Dan Leith lived withwit the star and would accompanyp­any her to the gym to help choose post-workout snacks. A music source close to Lovato’s former manager, Phil McIntyre, said McIntyre hadha a strict policy with the troubledbl­ed star: “He would only manage her if she was being healthy and getting help.” Sarodj Bertin, an actress who works out with Lovato and has been to five of ththe singer’s house parties, said “everyone who wanted to drink something had to bring their own. She was very serserious about” not keeping alcohol at her home. Despite the seemingly impenetrab­leim wall put up around Lovato, the substances — and the seedy people — sneaked in. TMZ reported thatt Lovato looked “way out of it” during a French MontanaMon party held during the Coachella music festival in April. The music producer’s frifriend, a studio engineer who recentlyce­ntly toured with Lovato, toldt him that Lovato was “fully off the rails” four weeks aago. “He said she was a train wreck and . . . looked like shesh had been out drinking every night. She just wasn’t fully there.” According to a HollywoodH­o publicist, two weeks before she overdosed, Lovato hosted a party at heher house where she openly indulgeddu­lged iin alcohol. “It wwas a game night,” said the publpublic­ist. “My friend was there and said [Lovato] had two glasses of wine.” In June, Lovato released her sisingle “Sober,” revealing that shshe had relapsed, singing: “MMomma, I’m so sorry, I’m not sosober anymore/And daddy, plplease forgive me for the drinks spspilled on the floor.” Weeks later, Lovato and McIntytyre parted ways, and she dudumped her sober coach, Mike BaBayer. Days before she OD’d, LoLovato forgot the lyrics to “Sober”S during a concert at the California Mid-State Fair in Paso Robles. On Friday, TMZ reported tthat Lovato has agreed to enter iin-patient rehab as soon as she is discharged from CedarsSSin­ai Medical Center in LA. But sources say that while Lovatvato’s health may be on the menmend, her career may be trickier to rerehabili­tate. “I would definitely be very,ve very skeptical of working with herh without knowing that she was clclean and committed to being clean,” ssaid the music source. “ThereThere’s a difference between the public DeDemi and the private Demi, as open as thet public persona seems to be,” addeadded a media insider. “And I think peoplepeop are now realizing that.”

 ??  ?? NEXT STEP: Troubled singer Demi Lovato is reportedly on her way to rehab after she OD’d and was hospitaliz­ed.
NEXT STEP: Troubled singer Demi Lovato is reportedly on her way to rehab after she OD’d and was hospitaliz­ed.

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