Demi Lovato Proves There's Much More Behind The Scenes We Don't Know About

We’ve seen pop stars documenting their artistic processes behind their latest projects, but one that stands out among the rest is Demi Lovato’s recent YouTube Original Simply Complicated.

Taking an unabashed magnifying glass look at the powerhouse diva’s troubled past, the outcome is a startling reveal that digs deep into her truth, and reminds us all that we really don’t know what goes on in our idols’ lives behind the glitz and glamour facade. Sitting down to touch on everything from her musical growth to her publicised breakup with Wilmer Vanderrama, no topic is left untouched. We highlight five moments from the feature we were surprised to discover, and which made us feel for Demi even more.

Addiction Battles

Considerably the largest plot point of the documentary is Demi’s admittance that she’s still not as mentally strong as most might think. Demi last did a similar documentary back in 2012 titled Demi Lovato: Stay Strong, but confessed this time that she was still on drugs during that phase – a shocking revelation considering how she was advocating her sobriety back then. While Demi has come clean and is now five years into her sobriety, she still loses her battle against eating disorders from time to time, triggered by missing her ex-boyfriend Wilmer Vanderrama. Its a stark reminder that even our favourite inspirational idols fall victim to their inner demons sometimes – and the first step of overcoming personal turmoils is by acknowledging them.

Love Confessionals

The media loves to speculate about celebrities’ love lives, but Demi is quick to announce that she’s single and loving it right now, going as far as to unashamedly dish that she’s on dating app Raya (a platform reserved for famous people) which points out that even stars have trouble when it comes to finding the right partner. But her heart will always have a soft spot for ex-of-six-years, Wilmer Vanderrama, and Demi bravely confronts the fact that she might never find someone that compares to him. Aww… we’re rooting for you, single Demi!

Silent Struggles

Other shocking truths were unraveled when Demi revealed that she once got so drunk until she threw up in the car while on the way to the airport en route for a performance on American Idol, where she sang while still hungover. ” I felt like that was a moment in my career where I didn’t care. I just knew that I needed to get high to get through what I was going through a that point”, she shockingly confessed.

Elsewhere, Demi’s manager Phil McIntyre divulged that during Demi’s stint as a judge on the second season of The X Factor US, she was actually living in a house void of any alcohol or drugs and had no access to her phone. We can’t imagine what juggling mentor duties on a reality competition with personal challenges would feel like, but the struggle must’ve been real for Demi during that period, while she feigned her confidence in front of the cameras throughout.

Musical Prowess

We all know Demi can hit some insane sky-high notes, but in the studio, who knew Demi had a perfectionist side? While recording ‘You Don’t Do It For Me Anymore’, a track off her phenomenal new album Tell Me You Love Me, Demi demands for more takes to nail every line and note, despite her producer already giving the green-light for the track. The result is an obviously flawless delivery, and we’d be surprised if Demi’s latest musical offerings don’t get a Grammy nod at the upcoming awards ceremony next year.

Road To Recovery

The documentary closes off with positivity where we witness Demi truly embracing her recovery with honesty. And a place she attributes her return to form and forgetting about her heartbreak and addiction issues? The gym. Demi has always been one of the ultimate #Fitspo celebs, but watching her throw punches and flips in MMA and Brazilian Jujitsu with fervour really is something else. Demi’s decision to be brutally honest about her life truly serves as a beacon of hope and encouragement that all of us can get through the toughest of times, and we wish more pop stars would embrace and share their honesty like Demi has.

Watch the full documentary below: