Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Demi Lovato says her rape during Disney years was ‘completely swept under the rug’

Musician has spoken openly about her traumatic experiences growing up in the spotlight

Roisin O'Connor
Monday 29 March 2021 09:13 BST
Demi Lovato: Dancing with the Devil trailer
Leer en Español

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Demi Lovato has claimed her rape was “completely swept under the rug”, after she was allegedly attacked while working for the Disney Channel in the late 2000s.

The musician has spoken openly of her traumatic experiences while in the spotlight in her new documentary, Dancing with the Devil, which is out now on YouTube.

One of the most disturbing revelations from the documentary was when Lovato claimed she lost her virginity in a rape by someone in the same industry as her. She did not reveal the name of her rapist.

Speaking toThe Sunday Times, Lovato said the assault was “swept under the rug” when she told “somebody of power” about it.

“Nothing was done about it,” she said. “That person was still in that movie.”

Lovato said it was only when the #MeToo movement became popularised in 2017 that “I realised, oh my gosh, this happens in the industry all the time”. The Independent has contacted Disney for comment.

Read more:

Also in the documentary, Lovato said she was she was “left for dead” by her drug dealer after he raped her during an overdose. She said that she saw him during a one-time relapse, following a stay in a treatment facility in an effort to assert control.

She addressed this in the Sunday Times interview, using the term “trauma re-enactment” to explain how she felt compelled to try and “kind of correct the situation… because if I was the one in control, then I was fixing it.”

“Which obviously isn’t the case,” she continued. “What happened still happened. And this is not going to make it any better.”

Lovato is releasing her new album, also titled Dancing with the Devil, on 2 April.

If you’ve been raped or sexually assaulted, you can contact your nearest Rape Crisis organisation for specialist, independent and confidential support: www.rapecrisis.org.uk.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in