Demi Wants To Recruit Former Disney Stars For A New Project
She said so on a recent episode of Call Her Daddy.
Trigger Warning: This piece contains descriptions and accounts of sexual assault.
Demi Lovato’s new album Holy Fvck is pop-punk heaven. After years of making dance-pop bops, Lovato (who uses both she/her and they/them pronouns) is returning to the grittier sounds they first explored a decade ago as a teen idol on the Disney Channel. Remember her debut album Don’t Forget? Now that was pop-rock excellence. However, Lovato may be doing much more than just recalling an old sound. It sounds like Lovato is interested in publicly reflecting on her days as a child star alongside some pretty famous Disney Channel alums. Just imagine the stories they could share.
On Aug. 24, the “Skin of My Teeth” singer stopped by the Call Me Daddy podcast to talk about Holy Fvck and the breadth of her career from Disney Channel Original Movies to now. Host Alex Cooper didn’t hold back with the questions. Most notably, she asked Lovato if she’s spoken with other former Disney Channel stars like Selena Gomez, Miley Cyrus, and the Jonas Brothers about their time in the “Disney machine.”
Demi’s answer to the question was eye-opening. "I think over the years we've talked about it for sure, but I do have a project in the works where I want to talk to some of those people about their experiences,” they said, adding that she’d love to speak to “other child stars as well."
Demi didn’t reveal any further details about the project, but her comments come at a particularly notable time. Fellow child star Jennette McCurdy, who appeared on Nickelodeon’s iCarly and Sam & Cat, released a memoir, I’m Glad My Mom Died, earlier this month. McCurdy’s book, which became a No. 1 New York Times Bestseller, detailed her tumultuous experiences as a child actor.
Lovato didn’t state the nature of their potential project with fellow former child stars, so it’s not worth speculating.
Elsewhere in the interview, Demi opens up about her experiences with eating disorders, sexual assault, and drug abuse throughout their life in the spotlight. Specifically, she spoke about allegedly losing her virginity in a rape at age 15. Lovato previously spoke about her experience in her 2021 documentary, Dancing with the Devil.
“I think in a way time can heal wounds, maybe not all of them,” she said. “The more time that has gone by the easier it has gotten. But there's still a sadness, a deep sadness inside of me that someone took that from me at such a young age.”
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, you can call the National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline at 800-656-HOPE (4673) or visit online.rainn.org.
