In August 2022, Demi Lovato told Alt Press that they’d wished they “would have waited until I had my sh*t figured out more” before releasing documentaries such as Demi Lovato: Stay Strong (2012), Demi Lovato: Simply Complicated (’17), and Demi Lovato: Dancing With The Devil (’21).
In March 2023, Variety reported that Lovato would make their directorial debut with Child Star, a documentary about, yes, child stars; more importantly, it speaks to Lovato’s point about losing agency over what is made public and what is kept private.
On Wednesday, July 31, The Hollywood Reporter exclusively reported the other child stars Lovato has recruited to participate in the 90-plus-minute Hulu documentary due to premiere on September 17.
“Rather than have it focus solely on Lovato’s past, which has been the subject of other docs, this one will incorporate her intimate and, at times, heart-breaking conversations with other former child stars, including Drew Barrymore, Kenan Thompson, Christina Ricci, Raven-Symoné, JoJo Siwa and Lovato’s Camp Rock co-star Alyson Stoner,” THR relayed.
“I’m so proud to make my directorial debut with this documentary that sheds light on the complexities of child stardom, a topic that is very close to my heart,” Lovato told THR. “I want to thank our cast for being so vulnerable with their stories and our contributors for sharing their knowledge to help push the conversation forward. I hope viewers will gain a deeper understanding of the challenges and pressures faced by young people in the industry so we can achieve our goal of creating a safer and more supportive environment for future generations young talents in entertainment, social media and beyond.”
Nicola Marsh co-directed Child Star with Lovato.