Dancing with The Devil: Demi Lovato Opened Up

Dancing with The Devil: Demi Lovato Opened Up

Many celebrities have opened up about their struggles with mental health. Some of them have even released documentaries or their own series. This is a topic that has recently been spoken about more due to Covid-19.

Content warning: This article discusses mental health, substance abuse and eating disorders.

Throughout March and April Demi Lovato released her series Dancing with the Devil, on YouTube. Fans of the singer are aware that she has previously struggled with eating disorders and addiction. However, they may have not realised to what extent. The media made us aware of Demi’s addiction and overdose in 2018. Whether we were fans of the singer or not, our sympathies towards Demi, her family and friends were shared across social media.

While watching the documentary, you can see the impact it had on her and those around her. When we see these celebrities on the internet and on stage, we never truly know what they are going through. This is amplified throughout because we see footage from her unreleased 2018 tour documentary that was filmed in the months and days prior to her near fatal overdose.

Her bravery is shown through the series and is a constant reminder that it is ok not to be ok. Lovato uses her voice and platform to help others who are struggling, to know they are not alone. It was filmed and released during Covid-19 making it particularly important because mental health is something a lot of people are struggling with.

The singer has always been open about her mental health and been a support for others. Her songs Sober, Anyone and Dancing with the Devil are some that are mentioned in the series. These are songs that most of us have heard or are familiar with. But some may be unaware of the importance or meaning behind them. In the documentary we see the singer perform Anyone at the 2020 GRAMMYs and we notice the importance of the song when we see tears streaming down her face. We then watch her sing the American National Anthem at the Super Bowl in February 2020, something that she tweeted she would do in 2010.

Demi’s album Dancing with The Devil…The Art of Starting Over, was released in early April. Accompanying this was the music video to her song Dancing with the Devil. When she posted a snippet of the video on Instagram, she expressed that it “was not the easiest shoot”. The music video was a recreation of her overdose. In the video we watch her drinking, opening the drug dealers’ bag, him leaning over her, the paramedics helping her and finally her in a hospital bed. It is hard for anyone to open up about their hard times, however Demi does it exceptionally.

In previous years we have seen more documentaries like this. One came from former Little Mix star Jesy Nelson, where she opened up about the effect trolls had on her mental health. Earlier this year Jesy released a statement that she was leaving the band due to the impact of being in a girl group and the pressure it had on her mental health. Also this year we have seen celebrity documentaries aired on television including Roman Kemp Our Silent Emergency and Caroline Flack: Her Life and Death. These are all helping to raise awareness when it is needed most.

With more people opening up about their battles with metal health and more documentaries airing, it is slowly breaking the stigma. This is starting conversations and letting others know that they are not alone.

If you have been affected by any of the topics in this article you can contact the Samaritans on 116 123, anytime and from any phone for free.