Demi Lovato recalls how being the breadwinner as a teen led to family tension

Fotonoticias/WireImage

Demi Lovato discussed childhood stardom with another former child star, Drew Barrymore, on Wednesday's 4D with Demi Lovato podcast, and spoke about the strain that early fame placed on their respective families.

"I noticed that when I came into the spotlight at a young age, and then was the breadwinner... there wasn't a manual for my parents to read and it say, 'Here's what to do to raise a child star,'" recalled the former Disney star, who now identifies as non-binary and prefers they/them pronouns.

"They didn't get that," the singer continued.  "So when they would try to ground me at 17, I would say, 'I pay the bills.' And I cringe now when I think about that attitude.  But when the world is putting you on a pedestal, you kind of think that you could do no wrong. As I've gotten older, I see my parents just as big kids themselves."

"I don't think it's the world and the pedestal," Drew, who rose to fame at age seven thanks to a starring role in E.T. the Extraterrestrial, responded.  "I think it's the parent-child dynamic that gets completely reversed."

"No wonder you won't take an order from an authority figure who's no longer an authority figure because you've now reduced them down with finances and responsibilities," she continued.

You can watch the entire podcast on YouTube.

Thursday, June 3, 2021 at 10:00AM by George Costantino Permalink