Demi Lovato Won't Let Her Future Daughter Get Into Entertainment Before Age 18: 'I Want You to Have a Childhood'

Mar. 15, 2025

Demi Lovato.Photo:Guy Aroch

Guy Aroch

Demi Lovato’s future children won’t go down the same path she did.Ahead of releasing her newChild Stardocumentary, the 31-year-old singer and actress (who uses she/they pronouns) opened up toThe Hollywood Reporterabout why she’ll keep her future daughter away from the entertainment industry until she’s an adult.Asked how she’d react to her child asking to become a performer, Lovato told the outlet, “I’d say, ‘Let’s study music theory and prepare you for the day you turn 18, because it’s not happening before that. 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.'“Demi Lovato on the cover of The Hollywood Reporter.Guy ArochThe “Heart Attack” performer said she’d also encourage finding a “backup plan” — “something I wish I’d done because sometimes I think it’s time for me to move on, but I’m in this weird position in my career because I still rely on music for my income.“Lovato entered the world of child stardom at a very young age, first notably appearing onBarney and Friendsbefore landing the lead role in Disney Channel’sCamp Rockas a teenager and swiftly propelling to superstar status.Now, she’s opening up about the experience of working in Hollywood as a minor in the upcoming Hulu filmChild Star, which drops Sept. 17 and features Lovato chatting with fellow former young celebrities includingRaven-Symoné,Kenan Thompson,Christina Ricci,Drew Barrymore,Alyson StonerandJoJo Siwa.Demi Lovato.Guy ArochElsewhere in theTHRinterview, Lovato spoke about how working as a child complicated her family dynamic: “Having the child be the breadwinner almost inherently changes the dynamic of a family, and then it becomes, like, how do you discipline that breadwinner?“Her mom Dianna De La Garza and stepfather Eddie De La Garza, who raised Demi following her father Patrick’s 2013 death, would “try to ground me,” she recalled. “But I was an egotistical child star, and I thought I was on top of the world. I’d be like, ‘But I pay the bills,’ and what do you say to that?“Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.Demi Lovato.Guy ArochLooking back from a present-day perspective, Lovato has an idea aboutwhy she craved success in Hollywood and attention as a child. “I think part of me always thought that if I made it in the industry that I would get the love from my birth dad that I didn’t have,” she said.Lovato continued, “And he was troubled, and I think I always chased success because I knew it would put me in his line of sight again and it would make him proud of me.““But now that I’ve dealt with those daddy issues, I don’t need the industry as much as I once did, and I’m proud of myself for getting here,” she added.

Demi Lovato’s future children won’t go down the same path she did.

Ahead of releasing her newChild Stardocumentary, the 31-year-old singer and actress (who uses she/they pronouns) opened up toThe Hollywood Reporterabout why she’ll keep her future daughter away from the entertainment industry until she’s an adult.

Asked how she’d react to her child asking to become a performer, Lovato told the outlet, “I’d say, ‘Let’s study music theory and prepare you for the day you turn 18, because it’s not happening before that. 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.'”

Demi Lovato on the cover of The Hollywood Reporter.Guy Aroch

The “Heart Attack” performer said she’d also encourage finding a “backup plan” — “something I wish I’d done because sometimes I think it’s time for me to move on, but I’m in this weird position in my career because I still rely on music for my income.”

Lovato entered the world of child stardom at a very young age, first notably appearing onBarney and Friendsbefore landing the lead role in Disney Channel’sCamp Rockas a teenager and swiftly propelling to superstar status.

Now, she’s opening up about the experience of working in Hollywood as a minor in the upcoming Hulu filmChild Star, which drops Sept. 17 and features Lovato chatting with fellow former young celebrities includingRaven-Symoné,Kenan Thompson,Christina Ricci,Drew Barrymore,Alyson StonerandJoJo Siwa.

Demi Lovato.Guy Aroch

Elsewhere in theTHRinterview, Lovato spoke about how working as a child complicated her family dynamic: “Having the child be the breadwinner almost inherently changes the dynamic of a family, and then it becomes, like, how do you discipline that breadwinner?”

Her mom Dianna De La Garza and stepfather Eddie De La Garza, who raised Demi following her father Patrick’s 2013 death, would “try to ground me,” she recalled. “But I was an egotistical child star, and I thought I was on top of the world. I’d be like, ‘But I pay the bills,’ and what do you say to that?”

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Looking back from a present-day perspective, Lovato has an idea aboutwhy she craved success in Hollywood and attention as a child. “I think part of me always thought that if I made it in the industry that I would get the love from my birth dad that I didn’t have,” she said.

Lovato continued, “And he was troubled, and I think I always chased success because I knew it would put me in his line of sight again and it would make him proud of me.”

“But now that I’ve dealt with those daddy issues, I don’t need the industry as much as I once did, and I’m proud of myself for getting here,” she added.

source: people.com