Demi Lovato has opened up about her past relationship with a 30-year-old when she was a teenager, describing it as “not okay” in hindsight.
The 33-year-old singer shared her thoughts during the latest episode of the Baby, This Is Keke Palmer podcast, which dropped on Tuesday, 3 March, reflecting on the unique challenges faced by child stars in navigating relationships.
Lovato rose to fame as a teen in 2008 with her starring role as Mitchie Torres in Camp Rock, alongside the Jonas Brothers, quickly becoming one of Disney Channel’s breakout stars.
On the podcast, she said, “I'm sitting here in this state of mind today, like, grateful for everything that I've been through. It was really challenging. There wasn't a lot of time for play, but when I did, I played pretty hard.”
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Demi Lovato shaded her ex Wilmer Valderrama on Keke Palmer’s podcast. 👀
While she did not name the individual, fans have speculated that she was referring to American actor Wilmer Valderrama, whom she dated when she was 18 and he was 30.
Lovato candidly acknowledged the age gap, asking rhetorically, “Why was my boyfriend 30? You know what I'm saying?”
She and host Keke Palmer, who herself became a child star at age 10, discussed how growing up in the entertainment industry made dating older partners seem normalized at the time.
Palmer noted, “We were trying to find outlets and just a way to process this and nobody our age…” to which Lovato added, “Nobody our age could understand. But then you look back in hindsight, when I turned 30, I was like, that's not okay.”
Lovato described the experience as a moment of realization about being exploited, saying, “It's almost a mental break that can happen because you realize you were taken advantage of. Oh, I was being exploited.”
Lovato has explored the emotional fallout from her early relationships in several of her songs.
On “29” from her 2022 album Holy Fvck, she reflects on maturity, self-discovery, and processing past trauma, including relationships with older partners. The song deals with reclaiming autonomy and navigating adult experiences after growing up in the spotlight. She addresses her ex directly, singing:
'Finally 29. Funny just like you were at the time. Thought I was a a teenage dream, a fantasy. But it was your, it wasn't mine. 17, 29.'
Other tracks throughout her career also address similar themes of betrayal, self-empowerment, and emotional growth. In “Sorry Not Sorry”, Lovato channels defiance and independence, reflecting a confidence born from overcoming toxic or complicated relationships. In “Anyone”, a more vulnerable ballad, she touches on isolation and emotional vulnerability, exploring the pressures of being young in the public eye and the impact it can have on personal relationships.
Previously, Lovato has spoken openly about her relationship with Valderrama. In her 2017 documentary, Simply Complicated, she described their connection as “love at first sight,” but clarified the complexities of their age difference: “I was only 17, so he was like, ‘Get away from me.’ But after I turned 18, we began dating. I think it was love at first sight, and I don’t really believe in that, but I believe that it happened.”
The podcast discussion, alongside her musical catalogue, underscores a broader theme in Lovato’s public life: navigating adult relationships as a teenager, understanding the impact of early experiences, and using songwriting as a vehicle for empowerment, reflection, and self-expression.
