Demi Lovato opens up about her 2018 overdose in new docuseries 'Dancing with the Devil'

The first two episodes of her docuseries, ‘Demi Lovato: Dancing with the Devil,’ will premiere on March 23.
January 13, 2021 1:44 p.m. EST
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Demi Lovato is ready to open up about “her prior traumas” in her upcoming YouTube Originals docuseries, Demi Lovato: Dancing With the Devil. The series will take "an honest look back at some of the most trying times in Lovato’s life as she unearths her prior traumas and discovers the importance of her physical, emotional, and mental health," according to the press release.

The new docuseries will feature Lovato opening up about her near-fatal overdose in 2018 and everything that followed. Fans will witness her recovery and get an inside look at her career over the last three years, including footage from the 2018 Tell Me You Love Me World Tour.

“It’s been two years since I came face-to-face with the darkest point in my life, and now I’m ready to share my story with the world," the 28-year-old singer said in a statement. "For the first time, you’ll be able to see my chronicle of struggle and ongoing healing from my point of view. I’m grateful that I was able to take this journey to face my past head-on and finally share it with the world."

Dancing With the Devil is directed by Michael D. Ratner, who worked with Justin Bieber on his YouTube Original series Justin Bieber: Seasons and Justin Bieber: Next Chapter. He said that Lovato's "willingness to expore the darkest elements of her life" will leave audiences with "a complete understanding of everything she's been through and ultimately what she is going through." Ratner added, “Demi stands for empowerment, and this documentary is going to answer the many questions that have been out there — providing a real window into the life of one of the biggest stars in the world, who is simply a human being.”

“There has been so much that I’ve wanted to say, but knew I had to say it right. DEMI LOVATO: DANCING WITH THE DEVIL will be streaming free on @youtube starting March 23rd,” Lovato announced Wednesday on Instagram. “Thank you to my family, friends, and fans for staying by my side over the years as I learn and grow. I’m so excited to finally share this story with you that I’ve held on to for the last 2 years. #DemiDWTD coming soon!”

The new docuseries will be a follow-up to her 2017 YouTube doc, Simply Complicated. Lovato also released another doc directed by David Russo in 2012 titled, Stay Strong. She previously admitted to People that she was using cocaine while filming that doc. 

Lovato has opened up about the 2018 overdose before. In November 2019, she spoke about her road to recovery at the Teen Vogue Summit in Los Angeles. The “Sorry Not Sorry” singer said she had “learned a lot” and “been through a lot.”  

 

RELATED: Demi Lovato is working on new music

 

[video_embed id='2114071']RELATED: Demi Lovato is working on new music[/video_embed]

“I’ve learned a lot, I’ve been through a lot, and I think as time goes on, as we are being faced with challenges in our life on a daily basis like we all are, we are all human,” Lovato told Teen Vogue’s editor-in-chief, Lindsay Peoples Wagner. Lovato said she was still learning how to deal with people on social media criticizing her life. “What a lot of people don’t realize is that I’m actually an extremely sensitive person,” the “Skyscraper” singer said. “I am human, so be easy on me. And I’m so tired of pretending like I’m not human. That’s one thing that I won’t do anymore. When you say stuff, it affects me. I’m human. I try not to look, but I see it.”

The “Échame la Culpa” singer has received professional help for substance abuse, bipolar disorder and an eating disorder. She previously entered rehab in 2010 at age 18 but relapsed after leaving the treatment facility. Lovato entered a sober-living facility for a year in 2013. She recalled how she used to self-medicate with alcohol, cocaine and OxyContin. “I lived fast, and I was going to die young,” Lovato said in an interview with American Way in 2016. “I didn’t think I would make it to 21.” 

The former Disney Channel actress celebrated five years of sobriety in March 2017 until her relapse in July 2018, when she was rushed to the hospital for a suspected overdose. 

The “Anyone” singer thanked her fans for their patience in her May 2020 cover story with Harper’s Bazzar. "I've really appreciated the patience the public has given me over the past year and a half to figure my s--t out because I think the mistake I made when I was 18, when I went into treatment, was that I went back to work six months later," she said, adding, “But at the same time, I've also sat back on the sidelines for two years. I've kept my mouth shut, while the tabloids have run wild.”

Demi Lovato: Dancing with the Devil will premiere the first two episodes on March 23 on the singer's YouTube Channel. Two more episodes will be released on March 30th and April 6th.

 

BEFORE YOU GO: Demi Lovato drops political ballad ‘Commander in Chief’

 

[video_embed id='2055018']BEFORE YOU GO: Demi Lovato drops political ballad ‘Commander in Chief’[/video_embed]


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