Demi Lovato and Drew Barrymore given 'drugs' at extremely young age
In the new documentary 'Child Star', Demi Lovato spoke to Drew Barrymore about their difficult childhoods and the fact they were exposed to drugs since a young age
Demi Lovato and Drew Barrymore have opened up on their experiences as child stars and recalled bring given "substances" from a young age.
The 32-year-old singer and songwriter and the 49-year-old actress discussed their troubling early experiences with drugs and alcohol for the new documentary "Child Star", which debuted on Holu on Tuesday. In the documentary, Demi interviews fellow celebrities who grew up in the limelight, including Christina Ricci, Kenan Thompson, JoJo Siwa, Alyson Stoner and Raven-Symoné.
During the chat with Drew, Demi, who uses she/they pronouns, told the ET star: "It's hard to say that you don't blame other people when other people may have been giving you substances as a kid." Demi then asked Drew: "How old were you when you were first given something?"
Drew, who got her job at just 11 months old, when she appeared in an advertisement, said she would "get high" with her mother's friend when she was just 10 years old. She told Demi: "I used to get high with my mom's friend at like 10. And I thought she was so cool, and she would give weed to me and her son."
Demi replied: "It's hard to not blame someone else when you're ten years old." However, Drew said that when reflecting on these dangerous and unusual aspects of her childhood, she wouldn't blame anyone but herself, as she explained: "Those were all my actions, those were my reactions. That was my coping mechanism. I'm very accountable, I don't blame other people."
The talk show host also said having children - 11-year-old Olive and 10-year-old Frankie - changed her perspective. She added: "Having a 10 year old daughter now, I just, it's unfathomable. But that's just how I grew up." Drew, who is now sober, has previously spoken about her past struggles with substance abuse.
The actress was placed into an institution by her mother when she was 10. During a 2020 episode of her talk show, she explained she was "out of control" due to her drug addiction. She said: "I was doing drugs. I was out of control. She just threw her hands up and threw me in there, not knowing where else to turn to. And that place really did help me and it did save my life, and I actually wouldn’t change a thing."
"Child Star" is the fourth documentary Demi has starred in discussing their turbulent childhood. However, their previous documentaries - "Demi Lovato: Stay Strong", "Demi Lovato: Simply Complicated" and "Demi Lovato: Dancing With the Devil" - focused exclusively on the singer while the new ones also looks at the lives of other child stars. The documentary is also Demi's directorial debut.
Demi previously spoke to the Hollywood Reporter and expressed their excitement about the new documentary, saying: "I'm so proud to make my directorial debut with this documentary that sheds light on the complexities of child stardom, a topic that is very close to my heart. I want to thank our cast for being so vulnerable with their stories and our contributors for sharing their knowledge to help push the conversation forward."
They added: "I hope viewers will gain a deeper understanding of the challenges and pressures faced by young people in the industry so we can achieve our goal of creating a safer and more supportive environment for future generations young talents in entertainment, social media and beyond."
Nicola Marsh, the renowned co-director behind Netflix's acclaimed "Stay on Board: The Leo Baker Story", is at the helm of "Child Star". Reflecting on her latest venture, she commented: "It was a real peek of what it was like to handle meteoric fame in childhood and all the pressures that come along with that. It looks so fun and glamorous on the outside but actually it's really challenging to be forming your identity as a kid while also commodifying yourself."
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