Hilton says a source told him that Lovato was “drinking margaritas and smoking weed” at a downtown LA restaurant.
On a recent episode of his podcast, popular gossip blogger Perez Hilton claims that a source told him that pop star Demi Lovato is being “selective” with her sobriety. The singer suffered an apparent near-fatal overdose in July 2018 but is now in recovery.
Here’s what Hilton had to say:
I have a friend who has a friend who works in an establishment in DTLA. Demi Lovato was recently in with her new boyfriend and a group of friends. And what’s alarming to me is how public she was being. I’m told Demi was ordering alcoholic drinks and drinking them—specifically she was drinking margaritas. And there’s an upstairs rooftop area in this establishment and I’m told she was also smoking weed. Is smoking weed and drinking alcohol a red flag for Demi who has publicly stated that she’s sober?
Her New Boyfriend
Austin Wilson, the boyfriend that Hilton mentioned in his gossip report, has been seeing the singer since early November. Weeks ago, Lovato went public with their relationship on Instagram. Wilson, a 25-year-old model, is also newly sober. His mother took to Instagram back in May to celebrate his first year of sobriety in a post on his birthday. “I am so proud of you and grateful that you are doing so amazing!!!” she wrote.
In fact, a source close to the new couple exclusively told US Weekly that “Demi’s friends approve of Austin and they’re both great influences on each other. Austin and Demi are both sober and it’s easy for them to connect and understand each other.”
Demi Reacts
Lovato appears to have caught wind of Hilton’s gossipy allegations. She took to instagram to post a simple, but seemingly pointed message: “Don’t believe the rumors.”
In another Instagram story, Lovato announced that she will be taking a hiatus from social media to work on new music. “The next time you hear from me, I’ll be singing…” she wrote.
The singer recently made it “Instagram official” with her new beau Austin Wilson, who is also sober.
On November 12, “Sorry Not Sorry” singer Demi Lovato took to Instagram to unveil something special: her new relationship with boyfriend Austin Wilson. In a caption under a black and white picture of Wilson kissing Lovato on the cheek, the pop star wrote “My ❤️.”
A source close to the new couple exclusively told US Weeklythat “Demi’s friends approve of Austin and they’re both great influences on each other. Austin and Demi are both sober and it’s easy for them to connect and understand each other.”
Dating A Member Of Bachelor Nation
Demi had previously dated Mike Johnson from The Bachelor Nation. Their fling was short-lived and ended in October.
“They went on a couple of dates and texted each other every day, but it was never a serious, full-blown relationship by any means,” the source told US Weekly about Lovato’s time with Johnson. “There is absolutely no love lost between them. The timing just wasn’t right because they’re both so busy.”
“I will say this, that Demi is amazing,” Johnson told US Weekly in mid-October. “I think that she’s a beautiful individual inside and out.”
Demi has been very open over the years about living with addiction, bulimia and bipolar disorder. Her apparent overdose last June made headlines and the singer has been sober and working on new music ever since.
Sober Together
Her new 25-year-old beau is no stranger to addiction and sobriety himself. The model’s mother took to Instagram to celebrate his one-year sober milestone which also happened to be on his birthday back in May.
How the two met is still a mystery but there is speculation that they may have bonded over the loss of their mutual friend Thomas Trussell III, a model who passed away from fatal overdose in early October, according to Radar Online. Shortly after his funeral, Demi got a cursive “T” tattoo in honor of her late friend.
After announcing making her new relationship Instagram official, the pop star got back on the app the following day to announce that she is making new music.
“Recording a song for my loyal #Lovatics — the ones who support me and whatever makes me happy,” she wrote in a recent instagram story, according to People.
“I think it’s been a very introspective year for me. I’ve learned a lot, been through a lot,” she shared.
Last weekend during the Teen Vogue Summit pop star Demi Lovato spoke out for the first-time since her highly-publicized hospitalization in 2018 for a reported overdose. The 27-year-old has kept a low-profile over the past year opting to focus on personal reflection and learning to accept herself physically.
“I think it’s been a very introspective year for me. I’ve learned a lot, been through a lot,” she shared.
Body Positivity
“We hear the term body positivity all the time. To be honest, I don’t always feel positive about my body. Sometimes I do not like what I see. I don’t sit there and dwell on it. I also don’t lie to myself. I used to look in the mirror if I was having a bad body image day and say ‘I love my body, you’re beautifully and wonderfully made.’ But I didn’t believe it. I don’t have to lie to myself and tell myself I have an amazing body. All I have to say is ‘I’m healthy.’ In that statement, I express gratitude. I am grateful for my strength and things I can do with my body. I am saying I’m healthy and I accept the way my body is today without changing anything.”
Lovato has been very open about her battle with bulimia and disordered eating. Her personal views on her body and the public’s reaction to it have sometimes led the star to an unhealthy place but now Lovato is all about practicing body acceptance. Instead of pushing herself to maintain a daily gym grind, she stops and listens to what her body needs.
“For so many years I dealt with an eating disorder. What I wasn’t ever open with myself about was, whenever I was in the gym I was doing it to an unhealthy extreme,” Demi said. “I think that’s what led me down a darker path — I was still engaging in these behaviors. Embracing my body as it is naturally is why I took the month of October off the gym.”
The former Camp Rocker is currently working on new music which she says she’ll release when the “time is right.”
In the meantime, she’s grateful to have made it out of the other side alive and strong.
Radical Self-Love
“What I see in the mirror [is] someone that’s overcome a lot. I’ve been through a lot and I genuinely see a fighter. I don’t see a championship winner, but I see a fighter and someone who is going to continue to fight no matter what is thrown their way. I have a lot of confidence now because I have said the things I believe in. I know I can hold my own on a first date with someone, in a conversation with someone. That’s what I see when I look in the mirror — a strong woman.”
Drug-fueled parties, overdoses, stories of survival and despair. These songs deal with all that and more.
There are so many songs celebrating the party lifestyle “and we dancing to a song about a face gone numb” (Macklemore – “Drug Dealer” feat. Ariana DeBoo). What about songs that explore recovery from addiction? There are more than you might realize.
How long will it take to dispel the stigma around substance use disorders and other mental illnesses? Songs that talk openly about these issues are helping to bring awareness to the public consciousness. In just the last decade, there have been so many incredible songs written about addiction. Here are just a handful of the best songs about addiction and recovery from the last five years:
1. Shawn Mendes – In My Blood
Shawn Mendes wrote the 2018 song “In My Blood” as a way to open up about his struggles with anxiety. The lyrics ring true for anyone who knows the excruciating pain of trying to cope with mental illness, including addiction. The song is empowering with the lyrics “sometimes I feel like giving up but I just can’t, it isn’t in my blood.” Survivors can relate to the drive to not give up on yourself, even when it’s something you can’t explain, that it just isn’t in your blood to give up.
I’m overwhelmed and insecure, give me something I could take to ease my mind slowly Just have a drink and you’ll feel better Just take her home and you’ll feel better Keep telling me that it gets better Does it ever?
2. Mike Posner – I Took a Pill in Ibiza
You might know this 2015 song in its hyped up, remixed version. The SeeB remix of this song was played in clubs non-stop and streamed over a billion times on Spotify, and its music video seen over a billion times on YouTube. The original is actually a stripped-down tune about regretful drug use, excessive partying, depression, and loneliness. The backstory of a song doesn’t dictate how it’s consumed by listeners, but this tune was basically borne from a bad trip and written as a way to process “dark and heavy emotion.”
The song is also poignant for its mention of Avicii, who was open about his own experiences with depression, addiction, and recovery, and who died by suicide last year.
But you don’t wanna be high like me Never really knowing why like me You don’t ever wanna step off that roller coaster and be all alone
3. Calvin Harris, Rag’n’Bone Man – Giant
Scottish DJ Calvin Harris collaborated with Rag’n’Bone Man to create the stirring 2019 song “Giant.” Giant starts off with a common thread in addiction, loneliness, and trying to fill that void with something (in this case, pills). The song itself goes on to feel empowering and hopeful. Rag’n’Bone Man sounds like he’s singing about recovery: “You taught me something, yeah, freedom is ours, it was you who taught me living is.”
I understood loneliness Before I knew what it was I saw the pills on the table
4. Demi Lovato – Sober
The entirety of Demi Lovato’s single “Sober” is a real-life relapse confession. She wrote this song about her 2018 relapse after six years of sobriety. Part of the message is similar to Macklemore’s “Starting Over” as she sings about letting down her fans and the challenge of being public about sobriety. Loneliness is a central tenet of addiction for many, and this song touches on that with lyrics like “it’s only when I’m lonely…just hold me, I’m lonely.”
Momma, I’m so sorry, I’m not sober anymore And daddy, please forgive me for the drinks spilled on the floor To the ones who never left me We’ve been down this road before I’m so sorry, I’m not sober anymore
5. Ed Sheeran – Save Myself
Ed Sheeran’s 2017 “Save Myself” is about finally learning to put yourself first. Like a person who became addicted to cope with codependency, the song talks about the problems inherent in giving your everything to save another person. If we don’t take care of ourselves, we can’t ever help anyone else.
Life can get you down so I just numb the way it feels I drown it with a drink and out-of-date prescription pills And all the ones that love me they just left me on the shelf No farewell So before I save someone else, I’ve got to save myself
And before I blame someone else, I’ve got to save myself And before I love someone else, I’ve got to love myself
6. J. Cole – Once an Addict
Cole’s 2018 album KOD tackles topics like mental health, addictions, trauma, and mental illness stigma in the black community. The song “Once an Addict” explores being an addict who is the child of an addict. Those of us who have experience with a caregiver’s alcoholism can directly relate to the pain of watching someone you love kill themselves slowly; then to numb that pain, becoming addicts themselves.
Something’s got a hold on me I can’t let it go Right Life can bring much pain There are many ways to deal with this pain (right) Choose wisely
7. Belly – What Does It Mean?
Palestinian-Canadian rapper Belly put together the powerful 2018 album “Immigrant.” The album includes a song titled “What Does It Mean?” This track doesn’t hold back in its honest depiction of addiction at a young age. It holds hope by talking about still being alive after having an overdose at only 16 years old.
On God that’s the moment that they all fear (all fear) Look, I was only fourteen (fourteen) X addiction got me feeling like a whole fiend Sixteen, first time that I OD’d And I’m still here
8. NF – How Could You Leave Us
Nathan Feuerstein, better known as NF, is a rapper who often pens songs about childhood trauma and mental illness. NF’s 2016 song “How Could You Leave Us” is a heartbreaking song about losing his mother to an addiction to pills. He says in the song that he doesn’t know what it’s like to have that addiction, but he does “know what it’s like to be a witness, it kills.”
I wish you were here mama but every time I picture you All I feel is pain, I hate the way I remember you They found you on the floor, I could tell that you felt hollow Gave everything you had plus your life to them pill bottles
What are some of your faves? Let us know in the comments.
It’s been one year since Lovato’s near-fatal overdose that made headlines.
One year after the overdose that sent singer Demi Lovato to the hospital, USA Todaylaid out her milestones over the past 12 months as she’s gotten her life back on track. After a stay in rehab, Lovato has been focusing on her mental health, signed with pop star agent Scooter Braun, took on body-shaming trolls, and worked on her upcoming album.
On July 24, 2018, Lovato was rushed to the hospital in an ambulance after overdosing on oxycodone laced with fentanyl. That was just over a month after releasing the single “Sober,” which revealed that she had recently relapsed after remaining sober for six years. She stayed in the hospital for two weeks before being transferred to in-patient rehab.
Getting Help In 2012
Lovato initially entered addiction treatment in 2012 after her substance use problems began to impact her career to the point that her management team threatened to quit. She had previously been in treatment programs for mental health issues including bulimia, depression, and self-harm, and was eventually diagnosed with bipolar disorder.
Though Lovato has been fairly open about her mental health and addiction issues, she asked people not to pry and speculate about her issues in a Twitter post following her overdose.
“If I feel like the world needs to know something, I will tell them MYSELF,” she wrote on December 22, 2018. “All my fans need to know is I’m working hard on myself, I’m happy and clean and I’m SO grateful for their support.”
Lovato signed with Scooter Braun, a music manager known for getting musicians through difficult periods of their lives, in May. He will likely have a more behind-the-scenes role than a direct influence, according to USA Today and senior director of music for Billboard Magazine Jason Lipshutz.
“Obviously Scooter has demonstrated an ability to manage difficult situations when it comes to pop artists, from Justin Bieber overcoming his controversy to Ariana Grande dealing with tragedy following Manchester (bombing) in 2017,” said Lipshutz.
In March, Lovato came down on Inquisitr for an article focusing on her weight despite the fact that her struggles with an eating disorder have been public knowledge for some time. The singer posted a screenshot of the article headline about her “fuller figure” with the message “I AM MORE THAN MY WEIGHT.”
According to an anonymous source who spoke to People, Lovato is now “very focused on staying healthy,” taking boxing classes and going on hikes with friends in her spare time. She was also reportedly looking happy and healthy at a birthday dinner for her friend and fellow singer Chloe Star Nakhjavanpour.
New Music
She also recently posted on Instagram about her excitement around her upcoming album and a chance to tell her own story honestly.
“You know what’s great about making an album?” she wrote. “You get to say anything you want, be as open and honest as possible and finally tell your side of the story regardless of who might not like it.”
“I don’t regret going out because I needed to make those mistakes, but I must never forget that’s exactly what they were—mistakes,” Lovato said.
Demi Lovato is making the most of her journey in recovery, and chose to celebrate rather than mourn what would have been her seven-year sober anniversary.
Us Weekly reports that Friday (March 15) marked what would have been that milestone for the singer and actress, if not for her frightening overdose last July that landed her in the hospital.
“Today I would’ve had 7 years sober,” Lovato shared on her Instagram story. “I don’t regret going out because I needed to make those mistakes but I must never forget that’s exactly what they were: mistakes.”
“Grateful that AA/NA never shuts the door on you no matter how many times you have to start over,” she added. “I didn’t lose 6 years, I’ll always have that experience but now I just get to add to that time with a new journey and time count.”
“If you’re alive today, you can make it back,” Lovato concluded. “You’re worth it.”
Fans of Lovato appreciated the message and took the time to let Lovato know.
“I‘m so proud of you,” one Twitter user wrote. “You have all my respect and I look up to you in every way possible.Thank you for giving us strength and showing us that it‘s ok to ask for help. You are the living proof that recovery is possible and that you can come back stronger than ever.”
“Demi is doing great and is in a much healthier place,” someone close to Lovato told Us Weekly at the time of the celebration. “She is learning how to take care of herself better and put her needs first.”
Since treatment, Us Weekly reports, Lovato has been putting effort into self-care. On March 7, after a breakup, she sent herself flowers and shared what the card read on her Instagram story.
“You’re beautiful, you’re loved, and you’re worthy of a happy and healthy life,” she wrote.
Lovato has been vocal about her recovery journey from substance use disorder and an eating disorder. Two years ago, on her five-year sober anniversary, Lovato shared another message on Instagram.
“So grateful. It’s been quite the journey. So many ups and downs,” she wrote at the time.
“So many times I wanted to relapse but sat on my hands and begged God to relieve the obsession. I’m so proud of myself but I couldn’t have done it without my higher power (God), my family, friends, and everyone else who supported me. Feeling humbled and joyful today. Thank you guys for sticking by my side and believing in me.”
“Growing up, music was everything to me, but the path to get there wasn’t always an easy one,” Johnson said in a video for the singing contest.
When Johnson was growing up in Boise, Idaho, he saw his older brother struggle with addiction.
“It was pretty hard for me to live with,” Johnson said. “I thought I would learn from his example, but unfortunately I really got into painkillers.”
Despite knowing the pain of loving someone with addiction, Johnson found himself following in his brother’s footsteps.
“I looked at what he was doing and I told myself that I was better than what he was. But the truth of the matter was I was doing the exact same things — lying to my loved ones, to everyone in my life. I really feel like I’ve put my family though a hell that I wouldn’t wish upon anyone,” Johnson said.
However, Johnson and his brother were both able to get help.
“I just got to a point where I had to change. It was really, really hard to finally come clean and say I’ve got my own issues too and I need help,” Johnson said. “I really look up to my brother and all the things that he’s had to face. We have been able to connect on another level and to really be there for each other.”
Johnson’s mother, Nanette, said that American Idol could be the win that the family needs after many years of hardship.
“I don’t think most people, unless they’re living with addiction in their family, I don’t think they know how hard it is,” she said.
Standing before judges Lionel Richie, Luke Bryan and Katy Perry, Johnson was open about his addiction experience.
“I’m grateful today that I have 8 months of sobriety. I just know that I have a lot to share with my music,” he told them, before launching into “Sober.”
When he finished, the judges praised Johnson’s voice before calling his family in to watch them unanimously vote “yes” to sending him to Hollywood.
“One day at a time,” Perry told Johnson. “Congratulations. You’ve worked really hard and you should be proud of your clarity that you’ve given yourself. You’ve earned this.”
Richie told him, “You now have three more people on your support team.”
Demi Lovato took to Instagram to acknowledge her sober milestone.
Six months after an overdose led to her hospitalization, singer and actress Demi Lovato is celebrating her recovery.
On Friday, Jan. 25, according to People, Lovato shared a photo of her six-month sobriety medallion on her Instagram story. She also shared a photo of a Funfetti dessert from Susiecakes along with a note that read “Happy 6 Mo. We are so f—ing proud of you,” which she captioned “Best day ever.”
On July 24, 2018, Lovato was reportedly hospitalized after overdosing in her home in Hollywood Hills. According to People, she remained hospitalized for about two weeks before leaving the hospital for an inpatient treatment facility.
In August, she posted a message to her Instagram account, which was her first post on social media since the incident.
“I have always been transparent about my journey with addiction,” she wrote. “What I’ve learned is that this illness is not something that disappears or fades with time. It is something I must continue to overcome and have not done yet. I want to thank God for keeping me alive and well.”
“To my fans, I am forever grateful for all of your love and support throughout this past week and beyond. Your positive thoughts and prayers have helped me navigate through this difficult time,” Lovato added.
In November after leaving treatment, according to People, a source reported that Lovato was focusing on maintaining her recovery after the overdose.
“Demi seems to be doing well,” the source stated, according to People. “She looks really good and is in a great mood. She also seems happy about being out and about, but her focus is definitely still her recovery. She attends meetings and receives treatment. Her number one priority seems to be her health.”
Lovato again reached out to her fans on social media in December, when she posted a number of tweets about her recovery.
“Someday I’ll tell the world what exactly happened, why it happened and what my life is like today.. but…I still need space and time to heal,” she wrote. “All my fans need to know is I’m working hard on myself, I’m happy and clean and I’m SO grateful for their support. … I’m so blessed I get to take this time to be with family, relax, work on my mind, body and soul and come back when I’m ready.”
Then, to ring in the New Year, Lovato again posted on her Instagram story and stated she was thankful for the previous year. She reportedly spent the night celebrating with sparkling cider and her sober friend Henry Levy, who, according to People, has been rumored to be her boyfriend.
“So grateful for the lessons I’ve learned this year,” Lovato wrote. “I will never take another day in life for granted, even the bad ones. Thankful for my fans, friends, family, and everyone who supported me throughout this year. God bless.”
The “Sober” singer took to Instagram to share her celebration with fans.
For Demi Lovato, 2018 was a rough year but she made it through and is now sober.
After singing about relapse and suffering a nearly-fatal overdose in July the singer spent 90 days in rehab, getting out just in time to spend the holidays sober. Despite the ups and downs of the year, the singer took to Instagram to say that she’s looking at 2018 in a positive light.
“So grateful for the lessons I’ve learned this year,” Lovato wrote on her Instagram story on New Year’s Eve, according to USA Today. “I will never take another day in life for granted, even the bad ones.”
Later in the evening, she posted a picture of herself ringing in 2019 with a virgin drink: Martinelli’s sparkling apple cider. Beneath the photo she put the caption #sober.
Lovato, who has expressed gratitude for her supportive fans throughout the year, once again thanked everyone who has been by her side through her relapse and recovery.
“Thankful for my fans, friends, family and everyone who supported me through this year,” she wrote. “God bless.”
Lovato stayed away from social media during the time she was in rehab, but during the past month she has again been posting. Before Christmas she expressed frustration with the endless news cycle around her recovery.
“People will literally make up stuff to sell a story,” she wrote on Twitter. “Sickening. If I feel like the world needs to know something, I will tell them MYSELF. Otherwise people stop writing about my recovery, because it’s no one’s business but mine.”
Lovato said that despite the fact that she is famous, she needs space to work through her relapse and recovery on her own.
“I still need space and time to heal… someday I’ll tell the world what exactly happened, why it happened and what my life is like today.. but until I’m ready to share that with people please stop prying and making up shit that you know nothing about,” she wrote. “I am sober and grateful to be alive and taking care of ME…All my fans need to know is I’m working hard on myself, I’m happy and clean and I’m SO grateful for their support.”
Lovato has been very open about her addiction and mental health issues in the past, and in July she promised she would share again in the future — once she knew her health was secure.
“I have always been transparent about my journey with addiction,” she wrote. “What I’ve learned is that this illness is not something that disappears or fades with time. It is something I must continue to overcome and have not done yet.”
“I am sober and grateful to be alive and taking care of ME…All my fans need to know is I’m working hard on myself, I’m happy and clean and I’m SO grateful for their support,” Demi Lovato tweeted.
Now she’s posted a series of tweets updating the world about her progress and her need for privacy as she continues her recovery.
On December 21, the singer launched her tweetstorm by professing her love for her fans and her hatred for the tabloid press. “People will literally make up stuff to sell a story,” she tweeted. “Sickening. If I feel like the world needs to know something, I will tell them MYSELF. Otherwise people stop writing about my recovery, because it’s no one’s business but mine.”
She also implored, “I still need space and time to heal,” and that “someday I’ll tell the world what exactly happened, why it happened and what my life is like today.. but until I’m ready to share that with people please stop prying and making up shit that you know nothing about.”
Lovato added, “I am sober and grateful to be alive and taking care of ME…All my fans need to know is I’m working hard on myself, I’m happy and clean and I’m SO grateful for their support.”
As the holidays approach, Lovato concluded, “I’m so blessed I get to take this time to be with family, relax, work on my mind, body and soul and come back when I’m ready.”
Last month, it was reported that after she spent 90 days at an in-patient rehab facility, Lovato reached out to her ex-boyfriend, Wilmer Valderrama, for emotional support. She has also been spending time with a sober coach, as well as attending 12-step meetings.
Lovato has always been open about her struggles with her mental health (the singer suffers from bipolar disorder) and sobriety. After her overdose, fans created a hashtag, #HowDemiHasHelpedMe, where many shared stories of how Lovato’s music and personal troubles encouraged them to get help themselves.
As Lovato posted on social media in July, “I have always been transparent about my journey with addiction. What I’ve learned is that this illness is not something that disappears or fades with time. It is something I must continue to overcome and have not done yet.”
