Demi Lovato Says ‘Daddy Issues’ Led To ‘Chasing Success’

Demi Lovato, who began her career on “Barney & Friends” at age 6, is letting down her walls once again and reflecting on her childhood, her rise to stardom, and what the future holds.

The Disney Channel alum, who uses she/they pronouns, has since built a massive social media following, raking in over 266 million fans across various platforms. She has been open with her fans along the way, including about her history of both sexual assault and an eating disorder.

Ahead of her 32nd birthday, Demi Lovato is returning to the Walt Disney Company as she is set to make her directorial debut with “Child Star,” a documentary set for a September 17 release on Hulu.

Lovato has been transparent about her strained relationship with her father, Patrick Lovato, who died of cancer in 2013 after years of struggling with addiction.

In a new cover story from The Hollywood Reporter, the 31-year-old reflected on her “daddy issues” and surviving childhood fame.

“I think part of me always thought that if I made it in the industry that I would get the love from my birth dad that I didn’t have,” she told the outlet. “And he was troubled, and I think I always chased success because I knew it would put me in his line of sight again and it would make him proud of me.”

Trying to hold back tears, Lovato added, “But now that I’ve dealt with those daddy issues, I don’t need the industry as much as I once did, and I’m proud of myself for getting here.”

In recent years, the former Disney Channel star has shied away from acting because being on camera has influenced her body image issues. But then she took a role in Stephanie Laing’s forthcoming feature, “Tow,” opposite Dominic Sessa and Rose Byrne, and she was reminded how much she enjoys it.

In the film, Lovato plays a pregnant woman, which she acknowledges has helped alleviate some of her concerns. Nevertheless, she confirmed there will be more acting roles in her future.

In the meantime, she’s back in the studio recording new music, though she’s not sure she’ll ever tour again. “It takes a toll on your body,” she said. “I’m not 15 anymore.”

Demi Lovato quickly made her mark in Hollywood, especially after she took a seat at the piano and belted out “This Is Me,” from the hit Disney Channel Original “Camp Rock.” And that was just the beginning.

She soon followed with another Disney movie, “Princess Protection Program,” and a Disney Channel show, “Sonny With a Chance.” Lovato later released an album and went on to tour with and without the Jonas Brothers—all in a matter of a couple years.

At the time, it was everything she had dreamed of, propelling her into the Disney universe alongside stars like Miley Cyrus and Selena Gomez, after years of auditioning without success.

“I was filled with gratitude, and there was this sense of wonder and excitement,” she told the outlet of her teen years. “It was very much the honeymoon phase of my career, right before the train got moving in a way where I couldn’t pump the brakes.”

Lovato, who began her career at six years old and then starred in several Disney Channel shows and films during her teen years, recalled what it was like growing up in Hollywood.

“I think I’d passed the threshold of what I could withstand emotionally and physically,” she told THR of what she now understands to be a trauma response. “And I didn’t realize that child stardom could be traumatic — and it isn’t traumatic for everyone, but for me, it was.”

“I think about people in the wardrobe department on my TV show because I’d go in there in bad moods all the time, and I worry about guest stars that came on or the other actors or the people during ‘Camp Rock 2,’” Lovato added. “And it’s easy to excuse that behavior because I was so young and in so much pain, but I’m really remorseful, and that’s a guilt that stays with you forever.”