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Demi Lovato was born on August 20th 1992 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, US to parents Patrick Lovato and Dianna De La Garza.

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Demi Lovato's child acting career first began when she appeared on 'Barney and Friends' just aged 10. Demi spent two years on the show from 2002-2004 playing the part of 'Angela'. Demi then went on to appear in cameos on series such as 'Prison Break' and 'Just Jordan', in 2006.

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The star got her big break in 2007 when she landed the roll of 'Mitchie Torres' on Disney Channel's 'Camp Rock' starring alongside the Jonas Brothers. During the filming of Camp Rock, Demi began recording songs with the brothers for the film.

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Just after finishing 'Camp Rock', Demi recorded the Academy-Award nominated song 'That's How You Know' for Disney's 'Enchanted', helping her to establish her talent as a musician.

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Towards the end of 2008, Lovato landed another Disney Channel original movie playing 'Princess Rosalind' in the 'Princess Protection Program' alongside co-star and former friend, Selena Gomez.

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Demi Lovato - Princess Protection Program - Preview

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In September 2008, Demi released her debut album 'Don't Forget' featuring songs that were co-written by the Jonas Brothers. The album went straight to No.2 on the Billboard 200 chart and Lovato later opened for the Jonas Brothers on their 2008 'Burning Up' tour. Approximately ten months later in July 2009, Demi released her second album, 'Here We Go Again' and began touring again with the brothers.

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As a result of successful roles the star had already carried out for Disney, the company offered her the leading role as 'Sonny' in 'Sonny With a Chance' where she played a young actress who had left home with the hope of making it in Hollywood. The series premiered in 2009 and quickly became one of the channel's most popular programmes subsequently making Lovato one of their biggest stars.

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One of the songs included in Demi's first album 'Don't Forget' was a song called 'La La Land' that describes a girl who doesn't want to be what people expect of her and discusses themes similar to breaking away from what society expects. Lyrics include: 'Some may say I need to be afraid of losing everything because of where I had my start and where I made my name but everything's the same in the la la land machine'.

Since it's release, people have spectulated that the 'la la land machine' the star is depicting, actually represents Disney Channel, and what people expect from her as that is where she became famous and 'made her name'.

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Demi Lovato - La La Land (Closed-Captioned)

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'The development of a character is essential. It sets the entire show’s feel, pace and emotional tie. The character must be endearing, strong, vulnerable, happy, driven and even a little lost at times (Padilla, C.S, 2010. Growing Up The Disney Channel Way).

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Padilla, 2010 also found that the ideal Disney heroine was to 'embody nascent all-American sex appeal, mope around sing at scenic view points, heed call of duty and leave home' which is largely what the character of 'Sonny' portrayed on the show.

Additionally, what made people fall in love with the character more is that Demi and Sonny looked as if they had mirroring lives, both wanting to make it in Hollywood and both within the bounds of innocence.

This made the character more believable and therefore more relatable to tweens, making the show more popular and leaving Demi with higher expectations regarding her behaviour.

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In her roles on Disney, Demi was constantly portrayed as having the 'good American girlhood' (Reese,K.N, 2021). She as often seeking a career in music and every time was away from her parents and finding her own feet. I would argue from my research that she played the same character in different stories. Key Features:

American Sweetheart.

Clean and wholesome image.

Fit Disney's brand.

Happy.

Endearing.

Vulnerable.

Strong.

Overcame minor challenges usually to do with small inconveniences e.g, becoming prom queen or performing in a talent contest.

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After the release of her second album 'Here We Go Again' Lovato began touring with the Jonas Brothers for a second time. At this time she was romantically involved with Joe Jonas.

As the tour commenced news dropped that Lovato had been in an altercation with a dancer. It swiftly made headlines and it was believed that Lovato then sought help for 'emotional and physical issues'. It was later found out a couple of these issues were revealed to be mental health and substance abuse related.

Demi's image instantly became tarnished. Her classic 'all-American' Disney 'good-girl' reputation had been tainted by violence towards colleauges.

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The dancer who was punched in the face by Disney star Demi Lovato says she is still waiting on an apology.

Alex Welch was attacked by the actress while on an aeroplane in Peru after a night out five weeks ago and a photograph has just emerged showing her with a bruise eye.

The 21-year-old, who appeared in season three of America's Best Dance Crew with Beat Freaks, was on tour with the Jonas Brothers Live in Concert Tour when the confrontation occurred.

'To this day, I haven't gotten an apology. I've heard nothing,' Welch tells People as she opened up about the altercation for the first time. 'That's sad if you think that person is your friend.'

After the scuffle, the Disney star checked into rehab for 'emotional and physical' issues.

Alex, who has also performed with Pink, Miley Cyrus and Justin Bieber, says Lovato was upset because she had 'gotten in trouble' over antics on a night out.

Tour managers stepped in to question the teen over her behaviour and Lovato suspected a back-up dancer had snitched.

As Welch tells it, Lovato 'pulled the dancers in a room and threatened: "If I find out who told on me..."'

'We were on the plane with the Jonases having this awesome time and I didn't get a call or text from Demi or a "Hey, you got a problem with me," nothing. And she walks up and punches me and literally walked away and got in her seat.'

'No one should walk up and do that and brush it over, it's not right,' Welch adds.

A source from Lovato's camp tells the publication: 'Demi hasn't been able to call Alex because she is sequestered in treatment, but multiple efforts have been made to reach out to her.'

Lovato has struggled with body-image issues and self-harming in the past, but her team dismissed any claims that she is being treated for drugs.

The Sonny With A Chance star is staying at the Timberline Knolls Residential Treatment Centre, just outside Chicago.

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'I haven't gotten an apology': Teen dancer blasts Demi Lovato over punch as new picture of bruised eye emerges

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Alex Welch was attacked by the actress while on an aeroplane in Peru after a night out five weeks ago and a photograph has just emerged showing her with a bruise eye.

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Whilst on tour with the Jonas Brothers, it was rumoured that the Camp Rock co-stars were involved with one another.

'Disney can't be uttered without the thought of love and utter bliss being mentioned. Disney presents the idea that anything can be solved with love' (Padilla, C.S, 2010).

Pairing up with Joe, enforced Demi's image of the 'perfect girl' with the 'perfect romance' who chased her dreams and met the 'perfect guy'. It could even be argued that the fan support around the couple was so strong it distracted from the incident that had happened on tour, and what else had been happening in Demi's life, in keeping with the perfect Disney girl.

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Comments left on a singing video of Demi and Joe posted by Disney Channel.

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Demi's third album Ubroken was released in 2011 after she came out of rehab. Hollywood Records of the Disney Music Group still had rights to the music as they did with 'Here We Go Again' and 'Don't Forget'.

Demi was still legally involved with Disney.

However, these songs sounded less like the songs in her other two albums. The hit 'Skyscraper' talks about being stripped of everything you have but still being driven to succeed.

The line 'all my windows still are broken but I'm standing on my feet' infers that although the incident had meant her image had been tarnished and she was no longer viewed as the innocent girl she once was, she was still planning on battling through opinions and returning to the spotlight recovered.

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After the altercation with the backup dancer, Lovato decided not to come back to Disney's 'Sonny With a Chance' and instead enter a rehab facility at the age of 18.

At this point it would've been impossible for Lovato to keep up her Disney Channel good girl image. Headlines everywhere were commenting on her being admitted to rehab and Disney began to disassociate.

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D emi Lovato is leaving "Sonny With a Chance," the Disney Channel TV series that made her a star.

In an interview with People magazine, Lovato said she didn't "think going back to 'Sonny' would be healthy for my recovery." Instead, she said she wants to focus on her music career.

The 18-year-old entered a treatment facility for three months last year to deal with what were termed emotional and physical issues.

See latest videos, charts and news
Demi Lovato: Rehab Was 'The Darkest' Time in My Life'
In a statement Tuesday, Disney Channel said it respects Lovato's decision to focus on her music and "not immediately" return to acting. "Sonny" will continue airing as a spinoff titled "So Random," with the original show's cast, guest stars and musical acts, Disney said.

The company also offered its support while Lovato works to "improve her health and bounce back from adversity."

In an interview airing Friday on "Good Morning America" and "20/20," Lovato recounted developing an eating disorder as an 8-year-old who faced bullying. She later started cutting her wrists to vent her despair, she said.

"I've spoken openly about being bullied throughout the past few years, but one thing that I've never been able to feel comfortable talking about was the effects that it had on my life, afterwards," Lovato told ABC News' Robin Roberts.
Demi Lovato Returns to Twitter, Shows Off Wrist Tattoo
"I literally didn't know why they were being so mean to me," she said. "And when I would ask them why, they would just say, `Well, you're fat.'"

While undergoing treatment at a residential facility in Illinois, Lovato said she was sustained by thoughts of her younger sister, Madison, who plays the daughter of Eva Longoria's character on ABC's "Desperate Housewives."

"A picture of my little sister ... was one of the main things that kept me going," Lovato said. "I just kept thinking, 'OK, set this example for your little sister.'"

She said also wants to set an example for other young girls facing the challenges she's battling to let them know "it doesn't have to be this way."

Disney said the "Sonny" spinoff has "allowed us to save over 75 full-time jobs and of course, business for the many vendors who get work from the production."

© 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Demi Lovato Leaving Disney's 'Sonny with a Chance'

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Demi Lovato is leaving "Sonny With a Chance," the Disney Channel TV series that made her a star.

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The April after she had left rehab, Lovato opened up about her struggles with Bipolar disorder. Additionally, in an interview with ABC news, she came out to talk about how she had eating disorders such as bulimia and how that effected her. To further that, she'd talked about dealing with self harm and the reasons behind why she left 'Sonny With a Chance'.

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April 21, 2011 &#151; -- After checking into treatment at a residential facility, teenage Disney darling Demi Lovato received a shocking diagnosis: She was bipolar.

"I had no idea that I was even bipolar until I went into treatment," the eighteen-year-old told ABC News' Robin Roberts. "I was actually manic a lot of the times that I would take on workloads, and I would say, yes, I can do this, I can do this, I can do this. I was conquering the world, but then I would come crashing down, and I would be more depressed than ever."

Lovato, who recently announced she was leaving her hit tween comedy, "Sonny With a Chance," to focus on her music career, sang her way to the top of the pop charts and heights of wholesome teen icon status, but her natural outward confidence in front of the camera could not protect her from the inner, lasting effects of childhood bullying. She sat down with Robin Roberts to share her story of a lifetime of struggles. ( View photos of Demi Lovato through the years.)
Watch Lovato share her story on the latest full episode of "20/20"
"I've spoken openly about being bullied throughout the past few years, but one thing that I've never been able to feel comfortable talking about was the effects that it had on my life, afterwards," she said. "I literally didn't know why they were being so mean to me. And when I would ask them why, they would just say, 'Well, you're fat."

Her torment turned into a dangerous habit.

"I developed an eating disorder, and that's kind of what I've been dealing with ever since," she said.

Lovato began a lifelong struggle with bulimia and alternately, severely restricting her eating.

"I was compulsively overeating when I was eight years old," she said. "So, I guess, for the past 10 years I've had a really unhealthy relationship with food."

Her family helped her find professional help for her food issues. But there was a secret battle she fought alone, something she desperately hid from everyone: At age 11, Lovato began cutting herself -- intentionally self-mutilating her wrists as a way of coping with emotions.

"It was a way of expressing my own shame, of myself, on my own body," she told Roberts. "I was matching the inside to the outside. And there were some times where my emotions were just so built up, I didn't know what to do. The only way that I could get instant gratification was through an immediate release on myself."

It was a dangerous coping mechanism that continued throughout her teen years. Last summer, it all came to a boiling point during her concert tour with the Jonas Brothers for the Disney Channel musical, "Camp Rock 2." Disney is the parent company of ABC News.

"I was performing concerts on an empty stomach," she said. "I was losing my voice from purging. I was self-medicating. I was not taking medication for depression, and I literally was so emotionally whacked out that I took it out on someone that meant a lot to me."

Demi Lovato Takes '100 Percent, Full Responsibility'

Lovato admitted to physically striking one of her backup dancers, Alex Welch, during the South American leg of their international tour.

"I take 100 percent, full responsibility." Lovato told Roberts. "I feel horrible. [She] was my friend."

Lovato's family and management team held an intervention.

"They sat me down and said, 'You can't live like this,'" Lovato said.

She immediately quit the tour and checked in to Timberline Knolls -- a residential treatment center in Illinois for women battling addiction and eating disorders -- where she was diagnosed as having bipolar disorder.

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Teen singer and actress Demi Lovato sat down with ABC News for her first television interview since leaving treatment for cutting and eating disorders. Watch Lovato share her story with Robin Roberts Friday at 10 p.m. on "20/20" and on "Good Morning America."

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As a result of rehab due to violence and being diagnosed with different disorders, unfairly it could be argued that Lovato was being branded the 'trainwreck'.

Reese describes the train wreck image being somebody whose 'childhood and adolescent persona epitomises innocence, purity and 'good' American girlhood. This is critical because the persona of female child stars is largely crafted by media powerhouses and production companies. Anything that falls outside of the constricting bounds of innocence, purity, and good American girlhood are seen as deviant and wrong, and the more 'deviant these behaviours get, the closer the girl gets to being labelled as a train wreck' (Reese, K.N, 2021).

Due to the dramatic turn of events from Disney dreamgirl to entering rehab, I would confidently argue that during this period of her life, Demi Lovato was branded a train wreck.

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Toward the end of 2013 Demi released her fourth album 'DEMI' which she had intended to sound different to her first three albums all owned by Disney.

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After the release of the Album the singer's very public transformation began. Demi went on to change her look to more of a 'rebellious' and 'rock' style. She shaved the side of her head and started to wear a lot more black with dark-coloured lipsticks.

She was breaking the mould of the Disney Channel dream girl and fell into the self-fulfilling prophecy of the 'trainwreck'. The look was a statement and as was she now that she was free from Disney's reigns. Her image became far more grungy and no longer relatable to her initial Disney Channel fandom.

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One of the songs on the 'DEMI' album was 'Really Don't Care' featuring controversial British rapper Cher Lloyd. Demi debuted her new style in a performance with the rapper and made it clear her image was no longer the innocent American girl.

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In August 2015, Lovato got the cover of Cosmopolitan. She is pictured with a the side of her head shaved and supporting a short haircut.

In the interview with the magazine she discussed her new music. She said 'There are a lot of girls in pop. They have badass lyrics but I feel like I'm the only person other than Rihanna and Nicki Minaj who isn't afraid to say, 'try something on me and I'll fucking beat your ass'. There are people who can dress up and play the part, but their music doesn't say it'.

For Demi, rejecting her Disney Channel 'good American', 'clean' look meant very publicly finding a new image and sense of self. Playing to the aggressive behaviour meant she was able to leave her old fanbase and curate a new one where she was seen as scary and somebody not to mess with rather than a sweet young girl. I would argue that this corresponded with Lovato proving she was able to succeed without the helping of Disney and therefore killed the entire brand they'd made her.

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The theory that she was trying to reject her Disney past when the singer posted herself rewatching and mocking her old movies. She shows herself laughing at her past performances.

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Supportive comments from new fans on the video of Demi mocking Camp Rock.

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In 2017, Demi Lovato shocked the world with the release of her own documentary 'Simply Complicated'.

For the first time, the singer opened up about her struggles with substance abuse starting from when she was on Disney Channel.

At the age of 17 the singer had her first hit of cocaine. The addiction began there and spanned through her remaining time on Disney Channel until 2017 when she made the documentary.

Lovato confirmed the train wreck star image by explaining to viewers she had been involved with alcohol and other substances since the age of 13.

'One thing I can never stop doing is being honest, and that's the best thing I can do'.

The singer opened up about being suicidal, the issues shed had with drugs and alcohol and talked in depth about the issues she'd had with her backup dancer which lead to her leaving Disney Channel.

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Throughout the hour and a half documentary, Demi narrated her life sat on a sofa in her house. She had discarded the 2015 grunge look she had been supporting since the Disney Channel exit, and sat in a shirt with natural makeup and long brown hair.

She came off as approachable and almost mirrored the identity she first had, an arguably wholesome image.

Since becoming sober, it seemed as if Lovato wanted to create a new image. One where she was completely transparent and authentic

She talks about her past and how its gotten her to where she is now. Lovato goes into depth about her healing journey and how she is now looking forward.

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After the release of 'Simply Complicated' in 2017 and six years if being sober, Demi Lovato was admitted to the hospital after a drug overdose in 2018.

'The former child star was taken to hospital in July 2018 after being found unconscious at her Los Angeles home. The overdose, reportedly of opioids laced with fentanyl, came a month after she revealed she had broken six years of sobriety' BBC News.

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Demi Lovato ‘had three strokes and a heart attack’ after 2018 overdose

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The singer reveals she was minutes from death after a 2018 overdose, and “left with brain damage”.

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Celebrities such as Elton John who had been known to also face the same struggles commented 'Demi is god, she is fantastic, she is perfect - but of course we're not perfect, we're all human beings'.

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Lovato then released a second docu-series in march 2021 'Dancing with the Devil' alongside a new album 'Dancing with the Devil.. The Art of Starting Over'.

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Demi Lovato: Dancing with the Devil | Official Trailer

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Millions of fans of movies, TV shows, and music may exhibit less drug-related behavior as a result of a celebrity's addiction. This will lessen the detrimental consequences that potential glamorization of drugs and alcohol is having on public health, which should lead to a decrease in drug misuse, overdoses, and fatalities.

It could be argued that Lovato's honesty surrounding issues with drugs allowed the public to sympathise with her making her feel like a real person rather than just a big celebrity. Her image became far more transparent and genuine.

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In her song 'California Sober' that was part of her new album 'Dancing with the Devil.. The Art of Starting Over', Lovato made it clear she wants a new beginning and to put away the image of herself she and the world had

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Here Demi supported the young, fresh-faced, inoffensive actress, radiating innocence combined with charm to appeal to audiences.

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In this interview Demi suggested that her writing is too dark to make it onto a Disney album.

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Here Demi was taking on the Bad Girl/Boy image meaning that she became a star who got attention for living a more dangerous and rebellious lifestyle.

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Currently, Demi Lovato has taken on the image of star activist, advocating social and political issues is now a central part of her image.

She has advocated for LGBTQ rights and spoken publicly in support of the community in interviews and speeches. For example, she has advocated for transgender rights, championed marriage equality, and attended and performed at Pride events.

She has brought LGBTQ youth on stage and told personal stories about questioning her own sexuality as a teen. She has spoken about the importance of safe spaces for LGBTQ youth and feeling accepted.

Additionally, Lovato has spoken out and taken action against laws she views as discriminatory against the LGBTQ community, like North Carolina's "bathroom bill." She cancelled shows in the state due to this.

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Demi advocating pride month