Demo Lavato.
Image: Instagram.
Childhood stardom is a wild ride, and nobody knows that better than Keke Palmer and Demi Lovato.
In the latest episode of the "Baby, This is Keke Palmer" podcast, the two icons sat down for a raw, deep dive into what it was really like growing up in the spotlight.
From the intense pressure of carrying a hit show at 16 to the messy reality of addiction and reclaiming self-worth, Lovato didn't hold back.
Now a global superstar with a new cookbook and a tour on the horizon, she opened up about the hard lessons that led to the peace she feels today.
While fans remember "Sunny with a Chance" as one of the best Disney shows at the time, for Lovato, it was a high-pressure environment that felt far from magical.
"I had so much fun on Disney, I was thriving, but at the same time, there were a lot of struggles. At the time I was struggling with my mental health, I let the pressure get to me. It was really challenging. It's hard to carry a show all by yourself at 16 years old," shared Lovato.
That pressure eventually led to a "work hard, play hard" mentality that blurred the lines between being a kid and an adult.
"I had this mantra that like if you going to work me like an adult, then I'm going to party like an adult, and I got into some bad stuff at a young age, that's when I started self-medicating."
At 33, Lovato has a lot of clarity, especially regarding her past relationships with much older men.
"Why was I dating somebody who was 30. Nobody our age could understand (the pressure). When I turned 30, in hindsight, I'm like that's not okay."
Despite the hardships, she isn't interested in a rewrite. She views her past struggles with substance abuse as part of a journey that brought her to the state of mind she has now.
"I wished that I had stayed more focused, obvisiously the course of my life would have gone in a different direction, meaning I wouldn't have struggled as much with substances later down the road, but everything happens for a reason and I am sitting here, in this state of mind today, and I'm grateful for everything I've been through."
Lavato is the first to admit she isn't a "perfect" idol, but she believes that her evolution is exactly what makes her a role model.
"I don't look at myself as a role model because I've never made mistakes and followed the rules, and this and that. I really haven't followed the rules, and I've gotten into a lot of trouble, but I've learned from them, and I haven't let those mistakes break me or change who I am.
"I think I'm a person who believes that we are here to evolve, and evolution is very important to me, and so I continue to work on myself daily. That's my way of being a role model for others."
Between a new cookbook and an upcoming tour, life is busy for Lovato, but this time, it's fueled by joy rather than stress.
"I'm at a level 10 at happiness. I am so fulfilled, my heart is so full, I'm so grateful for the relationships, the people in my life, my husband, getting to do this for a living, I'm just so excited. I've got so much coming up. But like my mental health, I feel serene, peaceful, excited and happy."