Early Life and Education of Demi Lovato: A Complete Timeline

Discover the defining moments in the early life of Demi Lovato. From birth to education, explore key events.

Demetria Devonne "Demi" Lovato is a versatile American entertainer, recognized as a singer, songwriter, and actress. Lovato began their career on Barney & Friends before gaining wider attention in the Disney Channel's As the Bell Rings. A breakthrough role came with the musical television film Camp Rock and its sequel, where Lovato played Mitchie Torres. The soundtrack's "This Is Me," a debut single and duet, became a Top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100.

Sections (5)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles

May 2009: Honorary Ambassador of Education by American Partnership For Eosinophilic Disorders

In May 2009, Demi Lovato was named an Honorary Ambassador of Education by the American Partnership For Eosinophilic Disorders.

August 20, 2010: Purchase of Home for Family

On August 20, 2010, her 18th birthday, Demi Lovato purchased a Mediterranean-style house in Los Angeles for her family.

October 2010: Spokesperson for PACER and Appearance on America's Next Top Model

In October 2010, Demi Lovato served as spokesperson for the anti-bullying organization PACER and appeared on America's Next Top Model to speak out against bullying.

January 28, 2011: Completion of In-Patient Treatment

On January 28, 2011, Demi Lovato completed her in-patient treatment at Timberline Knolls and returned home, acknowledging struggles with bulimia, self-harm, and self-medication with drugs and alcohol, and being diagnosed with bipolar disorder during her treatment.

April 2011: Contributing Editor for Seventeen Magazine

In April 2011, Demi Lovato became a contributing editor for Seventeen magazine, where she penned an article describing her struggles.

December 2011: Condemnation of Disney Channel Episodes

In December 2011, Demi Lovato condemned the Disney Channel for airing episodes of Shake It Up and So Random! in which characters joked about eating disorders, leading to the network issuing an apology and removing the episodes.

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2011: Sharing Bipolar Diagnosis

In 2011, Demi Lovato shared that she had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

March 2012: Demi Lovato: Stay Strong Documentary Airs on MTV

In March 2012, MTV aired a documentary titled Demi Lovato: Stay Strong, which chronicled her rehab and recovery journey.

April 2012: Contributing Editor of Seventeen Magazine

In April 2012, Demi Lovato became a contributing editor of Seventeen magazine, describing her personal struggles to its female teenage readers.

September 2012: Ambassador of Mean Stinks Campaign

In September 2012, Demi Lovato was named the ambassador of Mean Stinks, a campaign focused on eliminating bullying by girls.

January 2013: Living in Sober-Living Facility

In January 2013, it was reported that Demi Lovato had been residing in a sober-living facility in Los Angeles for over a year to avoid relapsing into addiction and her eating disorder.

May 2013: Cited for Mentoring Teens with Mental Health Problems

In May 2013, Demi Lovato was cited for her dedication to mentoring teens and young adults with mental health problems at a National Children's Mental Health Awareness Day hosted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration in Washington.

June 2013: Celebration of Defense of Marriage Act Appeal

In June 2013, Demi Lovato celebrated the appeal of the Defense of Marriage Act on social media.

August 2013: Volunteered in Kenya with Free the Children

In August 2013, Demi Lovato traveled to Kenya for her 21st birthday to participate in a program of the international charity organization Free the Children.

May 2014: Lead Performer for NYC Pride Week and Grand Marshal of LA Pride Parade

In May 2014, Demi Lovato was named the lead performer for NYC Pride Week and Grand Marshal of the LA Pride Parade, where she later filmed the music video for "Really Don't Care".

May 2015: Founding of Safehouse Records

In May 2015, Demi Lovato co-founded Safehouse Records, an "artist-centric" new record label, in partnership with Nick Jonas and Phil McIntyre. The label formed part of a collaborative arrangement with Island record label.

2015: Face of Human Rights Campaign's America's for Marriage Equality

In 2015, Demi Lovato became the face of the Human Rights Campaign's America's for Marriage Equality.

June 2016: Participation in Human Rights Campaign Video

In June 2016, Demi Lovato participated in a video released by the Human Rights Campaign honoring the victims of the Orlando nightclub shooting.

June 2016: Signed open letter urging gun reform

In June 2016, Demi Lovato signed an open letter from Billboard urging gun reform.

2016: Speech at Democratic National Convention

Demi Lovato's speech at the 2016 Democratic National Convention focused on raising awareness for mental health.

January 2017: Returned to Kenya with We Movement

In January 2017, Demi Lovato returned to Kenya with We Movement to work with women and children.

March 15, 2017: Five-Year Sobriety Anniversary

On March 15, 2017, Demi Lovato celebrated the five-year anniversary of her sobriety.

March 2017: Donated to Los Angeles charities

In March 2017, Demi Lovato donated money to Los Angeles-based charities specializing in animal, LGBT, and adoption rights, celebrating her five-year anniversary of sobriety.

May 2017: Partnership with Fabletics for Girl Up Campaign

In May 2017, Demi Lovato partnered with Fabletics to create a limited edition activewear collection for the United Nations Foundation's Girl Up campaign to fund programs for "the world's most marginalized adolescent girls".

August 2017: Donated to Hurricane Harvey relief

In August 2017, Demi Lovato donated $50000 to Hurricane Harvey relief and started a fund with Nick Jonas, DNCE, and her then-manager Phil McIntyre.

September 2017: Named Global Citizen Ambassador

In September 2017, Demi Lovato was named a Global Citizen ambassador for championing the mental health of thousands of children displaced within Iraq and other communities.

2017: Release of YouTube Documentary Demi Lovato: Simply Complicated

In her 2017 YouTube documentary Demi Lovato: Simply Complicated, Demi Lovato revealed that her treatment at Timberline Knolls had not been entirely successful and admitted to struggling with alcoholism and a cocaine addiction in the year following her stint in the treatment center.

March 2018: Performed at March for Our Lives rally

In March 2018, Demi Lovato performed at the March for Our Lives anti-gun violence rally in Washington, D.C.

July 24, 2018: Opioid Overdose and Hospitalization

On July 24, 2018, Demi Lovato was rushed to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles after an opioid overdose at her home, reportedly overdosing on oxycodone laced with fentanyl and being revived with naloxone. Doctors said she had only 5-10 minutes to live if no one had found her.

December 2018: Dismissal of Overdose Rumors and Thanking Fans on Twitter

In December 2018, Demi Lovato took to Twitter to dismiss rumors regarding her overdose and thanked fans for their support, stating that she would eventually share the full story when she was ready but needed space and time to heal.

2018: Raped During Overdose

In 2018, Demi Lovato stated she was raped during her drug overdose, realizing a month after the incident that she was not in a place to consent at that point.

2018: Worsened Bulimia and Relapse

In 2018, Demi Lovato's worsened struggles with bulimia contributed to her eventual drug overdose as she relapsed three months prior to the incident due to being extremely unhappy.

April 2020: Joined Mental Health Campaign

In April 2020, Demi Lovato joined a mental health campaign in support of Irish charity SpunOut.i.e. to launch The Mental Health Fund which is raising money for mental health support.

May 2020: Condemned police brutality

In May 2020, Demi Lovato condemned police brutality and the officers responsible for the murder of George Floyd and the shooting of Breonna Taylor, sharing resources to support the Black Lives Matter movement and black-owned businesses and denouncing white privilege.

July 2020: Labeling Herself Queer

In July 2020, Demi Lovato labeled herself as queer in a social media statement mourning the death of her Glee co-star Naya Rivera.

July 23, 2020: Engagement to Max Ehrich

On July 23, 2020, Demi Lovato announced her engagement to actor Max Ehrich after dating for four months.

2020: Appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show

During a 2020 appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Demi Lovato elaborated on how her worsened struggles with bulimia in 2018 contributed to her eventual drug overdose, attributing these struggles to the extreme measures that her then-manager took to control the food she ingested.

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March 2021: Coming Out as Pansexual and Sexually Fluid

In March 2021, Demi Lovato came out as pansexual and sexually fluid, stating, "I've always known I was hella queer, but I have fully embraced it."

March 2021: Moderate Sobriety Announcement

In March 2021, Demi Lovato revealed that she was not completely sober, choosing to drink alcohol and smoke marijuana in moderation, a decision met with disagreement from many friends.

2021: Revelation of Rape at Age 15

In 2021, Demi Lovato revealed that she was raped at age 15 while working on the Disney Channel, and that the rapist was a co-star.

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2021: Revised Diagnosis of ADHD

In 2021, Demi Lovato stated that she initially accepted her bipolar diagnosis and shared this in 2011 because it explained her erratic behavior, but later came to believe it was inaccurate and her diagnosis has been revised to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

April 2022: Pronoun Change to Include She/Her

In April 2022, Demi Lovato updated her gender pronouns to include she/her, describing herself in August as a "fluid person" who felt "more feminine" and had therefore "adopted the pronouns of she/her again".

2022: Interview on Call Her Daddy Podcast

In a 2022 interview on the podcast Call Her Daddy, Demi Lovato revealed that she began using opiates at the age of 13 after a car accident, and was already drinking by that time which led her to use cocaine at the age of 17.

February 4, 2023: Promotion to Purple Belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

On February 4, 2023, Demi Lovato was promoted to a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, a sport she began training in 2016.

December 2023: Supported UN Human Rights climate campaign

In December 2023, Demi Lovato voiced her support for United Nations Human Rights' climate change campaign, urging leaders to work towards climate justice, in tandem with the COP28 conference.

December 16, 2023: Engagement to Jutes

On December 16, 2023, it was announced that Demi Lovato and Jutes were engaged.

September 26, 2024: Joined Gavin Newsom in signing child performer protection bills

On September 26, 2024, Demi Lovato joined California governor Gavin Newsom as he signed two bills into law that expand on the Coogan Law and offer new financial protections to child digital content creators.