Demi Lovato Says MakingChild StarWas 'Really Healing': 'Holding Space for My Younger Self'

Mar. 15, 2025

Demi Lovato in ‘Camp Rock’; Demi Lovato at the 2024 Teen Vogue Summit.Photo:Getty(2)

Getty(2)

Demi Lovatois getting candid about being a child actor.

At theTeen Vogue Summiton Saturday, Nov. 23 in Los Angeles, the singer, 32, said in her keynote conversation withTeen Vogueeditor-in-chief Versha Sharma that making her recent documentaryChild Starwas a “healing” experience.

“The whole journey was really healing for me. Honoring the truth of my inner child was really healing for me,” Lovato (who uses she/they pronouns) said.

“Going back and acknowledging my struggles was honoring my inner child and holding space for my younger self… that didn’t get to live a normal childhood in my younger years,” she added.

Demi Lovato attends Teen Vogue Summit 2024 on. Nov. 23, 2024 in Los Angeles.Phillip Faraone/Getty

Phillip Faraone/Getty

The documentary — which marks Lovato’s directorial debut — sees her sitting down with other child actors, includingDrew Barrymore,Kenan Thompson,Raven-SymonéandAlyson Stoner, in conversations about their experiences working in entertainment at a young age.

Doing so, Lovato said, was “even more healing.”

“It really created a sense of community and it made us feel less alone to share our experiences, even though we may have felt so isolated in them,” she continued. “So I think being able to talk to the participants of the film really was encouraging and therapeutic for me.”

Demi Lovato in ‘Camp Rock’.Disney Channel

Disney Channel

Lovato also shared that “being in front of the camera since I was seven years old” created “so many issues for me, whether it be my self-esteem or body image issues.”

“I have learned to have a healthier relationship with being on camera and just having acceptance over my body,” she said. “But like anything, I’ve grown to have my boundaries with it and I protect myself when I can if I’m feeling insecure that day.”

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As for advice for the current generation of young stars, Lovato said, “Don’t make yourself smaller to make other people more comfortable. If using your voice is something that you’re passionate about, speak and shout it from the rooftops. Don’t be afraid to own your truth and just keep doing that.”

Demi Lovato speaks onstage during Teen Vogue Summit 2024 on Nov. 23, 2024 in Los Angeles.Anna Webber/Getty

Anna Webber/Getty

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In an August interview withThe Hollywood Reporter, Lovato said she wants tokeep her future daughter away from the entertainment industryuntil she is an adult so that she can have embrace her childhood.

“I’d say, ‘Let’s study music theory and prepare you for the day you turn 18, because it’s not happening before that,' " she said. " ‘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.’ "

Child Staris now streaming on Hulu.

source: people.com