Demi Lovato claims the “popular girls” during her childhood acting days used to threaten her mental and physical health.
The Disney Channel alum made the allegations in a new trailer for Hulu’s upcoming “Child Star” documentary, which marks Lovato’s directorial debut alongside Nicola Marsh.
“The popular girls signed a suicide petition saying that I should kill myself,” she alleged in the revealing teaser, released on Thursday.
Lovato did not reveal the identities of who allegedly signed the “petition.”
The non-binary actor – who uses they/them and she/her pronouns – began acting at a very young age. After appearing on “Barney & Friends” from 2002 to 2004, she went on to star in various Disney Channel hit shows and movies including “Camp Rock” and “Sonny with a Chance” while simultaneously kickstarting her music career.
The singer, now 32, reflected on those early days of fame with fellow child stars like Raven-Symoné, Christina Ricci, Alyson Stoner, Kenan Thompson, Drew Barrymore and JoJo Siwa for the project.
She also opened up about how her struggle with drugs and alcohol developed as she was thrust even further into the spotlight over time.
“When we first got on the phone you were like, ‘I was on your show,’” the “Heart Attack” singer told Symoné, 38, admitting, “I don’t even remember something that I was on.”
Later in the clip, Lovato emphasized how there has never been a “manual” for “how to navigate this industry” at such a young age.
“I wouldn’t end up where I am had I not made all the choices leading up to this point,” she said. “But it came at a price.”
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Lovato previously confessed to Cosmopolitan in 2013 that she was suicidal at just seven years old.
“Even before ‘Barney,’ I was suicidal. I was 7. With ‘Barney,’ I guess subliminally, I did have a relationship with this figure that was saving my life in a way,” she said at the time.
“I’ve talked about being bullied and the years of being a teenager, but I went through things when I was younger that I’ve never talked about that probably caused me to turn out the way I ended up turning out.”
Lovato – who has been vocal about her near-fatal overdose in 2018, sobriety and more sensitive topics over the years – also shared the news of her upcoming documentary via Instagram on Thursday.
“Growing up in the spotlight changed our lives forever,” she captioned her post in part. “Thank you to all of the former child stars who shared their stories with me in my directorial debut and new documentary.”
“Child Star” premieres Tuesday, Sept. 17 on Hulu.
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call or text the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988.
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