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Young Prodigy -

Lovato got their start on the popular children's show 'Barney and Friends' from 2002-2004. They were cast at just 10 years old.

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Early fame friends -

On 'Barney' is where Lovato became friends with another young soon-to-be star, Selena Gomez, whose career has followed a fascinatingly parallel line. In 2009, they starred in the movie 'Princess Protection Program' together.

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Road to Disney -

The budding young actor landed roles in TV series like 'Prison Break' and 'Just Jordan' before landing a lead role in the first season of the 2007 Disney Channel series 'As the Bell Rings.'

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Singing chops -

Lovato first showed off their huge voice in the 2008 Disney musical 'Camp Rock' alongside the Jonas Brothers. The made-for-TV movie was such a hit that it had a sequel.

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'Sonny with a Chance' -

Lovato's previous Disney success led to their lead role in Disney's 2009 hit series 'Sonny with a Chance,' which ran for two seasons and spawned the short-lived spin-off 'So Random.'

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Transition to pop star -

Before 'Sonny with a Chance' aired, Lovato released their debut studio album in 2008, called 'Don't Forget.' The album garnered both commercial and critical success.

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Focusing on music -

After finishing with 'Camp Rock 2,' Lovato returned with their 2011 album 'Unbroken,' which featured the mega-hit 'Skyscraper.' Lovato was cementing their reputation as a pop star to be reckoned with, but unfortunately it wasn't all smooth sailing.

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First documentary -

'Demi Lovato: Stay Strong' (2012) revealed the star's struggle that led to cancelling their tour with the Jonas Brothers and their subsequent rehab.

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Mental health advocate -

Lovato opened up about their struggles with mental illness, substance abuse, and being bullied. The star used their fame to bring attention to these important issues, launching an anti-bullying campaign and joining We Day celebrations.

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'The X Factor' -

As an enormous and growing figure in music, in 2012 Lovato was tapped to be a judge on the American version of 'The X Factor' reality singing competition. Along with Simon Cowell, Lovato sat on the judging panel with music exec L.A. Reid and fellow pop star Britney Spears.

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Back to acting, but no more Disney -

During their time on 'The X Factor,' Lovato's acting-singing combo was put to use again as a guest star in a multi-episode story arc on season 5 of 'Glee.'

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More mature role -

Lovato played Dani, a NYC waitress who joins Kurt's band and later forms a trio with Kurt and Elliott. Lovato's character was also in a relationship with Santana, played by the late Naya Rivera.

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Coming out as LGBTQ -

In January 2020, Lovato opened up to Bravo host Andy Cohen about the “beautiful” moment in 2017 when they told their parents they could imagine "ending up possibly with a woman," though they were "still figuring it out." In 2021 Lovato came out as pansexual as well as non-binary. 

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Touching post to Rivera -

Following Naya Rivera's tragic death, Lovato shared a touching tribute: "The character you played was groundbreaking for tons of closeted (at the time) queer girls like me," Lovato wrote. "And your ambition and accomplishments were inspiring to Latina women all over the world."

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Voice acting -

In 2015, it was announced that Lovato was joining the voice cast of 'Smurfs: The Lost Village,' released in 2017.

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Branching into country -

In 2016, Lovato crossed genres to record a country duet with Brad Paisley, called 'Without a Fight.'

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Mixing with legends -

Also in 2016, Lovato lent their voice to a duet with Elton John on his hit 'Don't Go Breaking My Heart.'

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Executive producer - In February 2017, Lovato executive-produced the documentary 'Beyond Silence,' which follows the lives of three people who suffer from mental health issues, including bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, depression, and anxiety.

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Fashion line - Not satisfied with their existing talents, Lovato also announced the launch of a Fabletics sportswear line in 2017, a collection created to support the United Nations' initiative Girl Up.

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Highest charting single -

The lead single, 'Sorry Not Sorry,' off Lovato's 2017 album 'Tell Me You Love Me' became their highest-charting single in the US, peaking at number six on the Billboard Hot 100 and being certified 5x Platinum.

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Second documentary -

In October 2017, the pop star unveiled a new documentary titled 'Demi Lovato: Simply Complicated' on YouTube. The film offered a daringly honest glimpse into Lovato's battles with addiction, depression, bulimia, and self-harm.

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Unseen struggles -

The documentary showed the unseen struggle behind Lovato's time on 'The X Factor,' as they were trying to get sober and battling an eating disorder.

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Relationship with Wilmer Valderrama -

The documentary also looked at Lovato's experience following the end of a six-year relationship with Wilmer Valderrama, whom the singer started dating at age 18, when Valerrama was 29. 

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Time 100 - Praised for being vocal about their bipolar disorder diagnosis and inspiring others to do the same, Lovato was picked as one of Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People of 2017.

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A tall height to fall from -

Before 2018 took a nosedive, Lovato teamed up with Christina Aguilera for a fiery performance of the duo's single 'Fall in Line' at the 2018 Billboard Music Awards.

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Struggle with drugs -

The singer then released the song 'Sober' in June 2018, in which Lovato admitted to having fallen back into addiction after six years of sobriety. Then on July 24, 2018, the pop star was rushed to the hospital following a near-fatal overdose.

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Struggle with drugs - The singer was reportedly found unconscious by an assistant, and later revived with the use of Narcan, a drug that reverses opiate overdoses. TMZ reported Lovato was given drugs laced with fentanyl, the same drug that killed Prince.

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Rehab -

After leaving treatment, Lovato established a healthy routine of working out at least four times a week, eating healthy food, and going to therapy. They cleaned up all the negativity and bad influences in their life.

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Opening up to love in 2020 -

Earlier in 2020, Lovato was reportedly dating model Austin Wilson, but in March of the same year E! News reported Lovato had moved on to former 'Young and the Restless' star Max Ehrich.

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Wedding bells - In late July 2020, Lovato announced on Instagram that they were engaged. “I knew I loved you the moment I met you,” Lovato wrote, adding that they were excited to start a family.

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Messy breakup -

But in late September 2020, that all came crashing down. Lovato broke up with Ehrich, who claimed he was hearing about this for the first time in the tabloids. He actually had a lot to say, but Lovato ended up responding with a song.

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Docuseries 'Demi Lovato: Dancing with the Devil' -

The four-part documentary 'Demi Lovato: Dancing with the Devil' covers Lovato's struggle with drugs, which included meth, MDMA, cocaine, alcohol, oxycontin, crack, and heroin. It also revealed that Lovato was sexually assaulted by the unnamed drug dealer whose fentanyl the singer overdosed on, and that Lovato had been raped in the past before as well. 

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Important conversations -

Lovato continues to be a voice for numerous social issues including mental health, addiction, and sexuality. During the summer of 2022 she revealed that she had decided to use she/her pronouns again although she still identifies as non-binary. She explained that she feels fluid in her gender expression and is in a more feminine period of her life now. Lovato notably lists the pronouns they/them/she/her on Instagram.

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What's next -

Lovato went public with her new boyfriend, the rock musician Jute$, in August, and is reportedly very happy. Her eighth album was released on August 19 and heralds a return to the heavier rock style of her earlier work. The star has also been dabbling in various TV projects so it's likely we'll be seeing her on our screens again sometime soon!

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demi lovato -

In her new Hulu documentary 'Child Star,' Demi Lovato is shining a light on the importance of legislation to ensure minors in the public eye are both protected and fairly compensated. Speaking with CNN, she called the digital age "the wild, wild west," highlighting how today's media landscape differs from her own time as a child star, expressing her goal of eventually bringing these concerns to Capitol Hill.

See also: Celebrities you didn't know have LGBTQ parents

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