Demi Lovato and Drew Barrymore faced challenges as child stars that many people might not experience in their whole lives. Now, they are sharing their stories about the tough times they had with drugs and alcohol when they were younger.
Lovato, who goes by she/they pronouns, explained in the new documentary Child Star, which she co-directed with Nicola Marsh, that it’s tough not to blame others when they were the ones giving you substances as a child. “How old were you when you first got something?” she questioned the E.T. star.
Barrymore, who started acting when she was just 11 months old, said, “When I was around 10, I would smoke with my mom’s friend. I thought she was really awesome, and she would share weed with me and her son.”
Lovato mentioned that it’s tough not to point fingers at others when you’re just ten years old. However, when Barrymore thought about the risky and strange parts of her childhood, she realized, “Those were my choices, my responses. That was how I dealt with things. I take full responsibility; I don’t put the blame on anyone else.” She also added that becoming a parent made her see her own teenage years in a different light.
“Having a 10 year old daughter now, I just, it’s unfathomable. But that’s just how I grew up,” Barrymore said.
Child Star is the fourth documentary featuring Lovato, highlighting her challenging childhood and her serious fight against addiction and an eating disorder. Unlike the previous films, Demi Lovato: Stay Strong (2012), Demi Lovato: Simply Complicated (2017), and Demi Lovato: Dancing With the Devil (2021), which centered solely on her, Child Star takes a broader look at the tough situations that child actors often face, making them vulnerable to exploitation.
Besides Barrymore, who is the ultimate child star of Gen X, Lovato chats with Christina Ricci, Kenan Thompson, and a bunch of talented young stars from later generations, like Alyson Stoner, Jojo Siwa, and Raven-Symoné. Unfortunately, many of those interviewed shared that they were introduced to illegal drugs by adults when they were kids.
Ricci shared that when she got her first acting job in the movie Mermaids at just 10 years old, she quickly turned to drugs and alcohol during her teenage years. She said, “I don’t remember thinking there was any other way to feel happy.”
Stoner remembered, “I realized I had to hide the fact that I was drinking, even though I was doing it. It just made me want to rebel even more.” Lovato chimed in, “Getting my hands on drugs was simple. It was the only way I knew to get away from everything.”
Lovato has been really open about their battles with drug and alcohol addiction that happened after they became super famous on Disney shows like Sonny With a Chance and movies like Camp Rock. They talk about the tough journey of staying sober and the scary experiences of overdosing. Because of this, Lovato has become a strong supporter for other former child stars and anyone who is trying to overcome addiction.
Barrymore has openly shared her struggles with addiction that started when she was just a kid and couldn’t really say yes or no to what was happening to her. She has described herself as a “walking cautionary tale,” revealing that she battled alcohol addiction starting at the age of 13. Now that she is sober, she believes that overcoming her drinking is a way to honor her family’s legacy, especially since her family has a reputation for living life to the fullest.
Barrymore’s grandfather John died from complications related to alcohol abuse, and her Aunt Diana and father John Drew both had histories of alcoholism.
In the documentary, Stoner talked about how studies show that famous people tend to live about 14 years less than those who aren’t famous. This is because they often deal with more issues like substance abuse and mental health problems. Stoner then questioned, “If this is true, why are we giving kids a drug that changes their brain chemistry and affects how they grow up?”
Child Star focuses on bringing hope instead of just highlighting the sad stories about addiction and survival. It wraps up with Lovato chatting with some young performers and people from the Looking Ahead program, which works to push for better legal protections for child actors.
“Obviously you want to make a great film, TV show or commercial,” Lovato told them. “But what matters is your well-being and the other things in your life, like family and friends. That’s what really matters.”