Demi Lovato battled "insecurities" as a child star
The 33-year-old singer was compared to the likes of Selena Gomez and Miley Cyrus during her younger years, and Demi admits that she struggled to cope with the comparisons at the time.
7 March 2026
During the latest episode of the Baby, This is Keke Palmer podcast, Demi explained: "It was challenging when people are comparing you to one another and you naturally have insecurities at a young age. So you start comparing yourself to other people. But one thing my mom instilled in me was: There's room for everyone. It's not a competition.
"'You have your own voice, your own lane and that's what I really stuck by'. That's what got me through that period. So, I was always rooting for everybody."
Demi has been friends with Selena, 33, since before they both found fame on the Disney Channel, and she really values their decades-long bond.
The chart-topping star said: "What was beautiful is, Selena and I had a friendship prior to Disney Channel because we were actually on Barney together. So, I felt this safety when I came into the Disney Channel, having a built-in friendship there, already.
"I'm so grateful for that. I will always be grateful for the friendship that I have and continue to have with her."
Meanwhile, Demi previously revealed that she "did a lot of healing" while making Child Star.
The pop singer co-directed the 2024 documentary, which explored the tribulations of child stardom, fame, and working in the entertainment industry at a young age, and Demi admitted that it proved to be a really valuable experience for her.
The brunette beauty told Who What Wear: "I had a blast working on Child Star. But I also did a lot of healing for myself to be able to come out of that experience with some tangible change that hopefully the rest of the country will follow suit on."
© 2026 Bang Showbiz, NZCity
