If you have a mental illness, you’re not alone. From Catherine Zeta-Jones to Kristen Bell, some of our favorite celebrities have mental illnesses. Yet few are as open and real as our fave inspirational singer, Demi Lovato.
In an interview on Monday with iHeartRadio, Demi shared why she speaks out. “It’s important to speak up about the things that you believe in, because your voice will be heard, no matter what position you’re in,” she said. “I use my voice to more than just sing.” I love seeing the real her!
One of the issues Demi is best known for advocating for is mental health. She has firsthand experience because she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2011 and struggled with bulimia for years. She entered rehab in 2010 at the age of 18. Lovato previously told ELLE, “You know, entering rehab while you’re on the Disney Channel, it was kind of like, everything was magnified, in the spotlight. It’s quite the headline. And I couldn’t get around it. So I thought, you know, I can use this to help others. And that’s what I did.” She is loud and proud!
Today, Demi’s working with Global Citizen to raise awareness about mental illnesses and mental health. Her YouTube documentary coming out in the fall, called “Simply Complicated,” will also touch on mental health. A few weeks ago, in Germany, she even met with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his wife as a spokesperson for Global Citizen to discuss what can be done to support the cause.
While she’s known for speaking up about mental health, it’s not the only thing Demi wants to be known for. “I think when people refer to me as being bipolar, it’s something that’s true—I am bipolar—but I don’t like people to use it as a label. It’s something that I have, it’s not who I am,” she said. “Demi Lovato, activist, is something I would really be proud of.”
Demi is also an advocate for LGBT rights, women’s rights, animal welfare and adoption rights. So what else could we glean from this interview? She loves doing jujitsu, which she describes as stress-reducing. Her role model is her mom. And her words to live by are, “You are wonderfully and beautifully made.” They’re wonderful and beautiful words of advice for all of us.
On top of all this and her work in activism, Demi’s latest song, “Sorry Not Sorry,” is killing it on the charts. Her next album is reportedly in the works and will be released later this year. One thing’s for certain: I’ll be the first to call Demi an artist AND an activist.