Demi Lovato Enters Rehab
Last week, Demi Lovato, who recently turned 18, checked herself into a Chicago rehabilitation center, reportedly seeking treatment for cutting herself and an eating disorder. Representatives for Demi announced that she has cancelled her tour with the Jonas Brothers to get help for "emotional and physical issues she has dealt with for some time." Demi's father has said that she's improving in her rehabilitation sessions and also thanks her many fans for their constant support in her recovery.
It has been reported that the day before Demi entered rehab, she was involved with a heated argument with one of her back-up dancers duirng a rehearsal for the tour. There's also speculation that the break-up with her boyfriend Joe Jonas left Demi feeling that Joe simply used her for a publicity stunt. Others say the cause is the constant bullying Demi suffered in high school.
Whatever the reason, the news that Demi's entered rehab is a stark contrast to the words she sings in the theme song to her Disney sitcom Sonny With a Chance: "So far so great, get with it / At least that's how I see it / Having a dream's just the beginning." Sonny, a small-town girl who wins a starring role on a popular variety show, has a lot in common with Demi, who acted in bit parts as a child before shooting to stardom with Disney's Camp Rock. And while Sonny copes with a jealous costar, a dearth of fan mail, and the hazards of celebrity dating, she doesn't encounter any of the darker issues faced by many teen idols.
While it's sad to see that even Disney's teen stars aren't without their share of demons, we remain optimistic about Demi's future. Many have said that she's starting down the Lindsay Lohan path, but what people so often forget about Lindsay is that while yes, her young adulthood has consisted of back-and-forth trips to court, jail, and rehab, she is still a young adult. If Mickey Rourke can make a comeback after losing a decade of his career to drugs, alcohol, arrests, and spousal abuse charges, then Linsay still has plenty of time to get back on her feet.
The best news is that whatever problems Demi's facing, she's getting help for them. We believe that seeking treatment while still young is crucial: Drew Barrymore entered an intense rehab program at age 13 and fought her way back to the top, while Tatum O'Neal, who didn't get help until adulthood, has never seen her career (or more importantly, her personal life) recover. Even Natalie Portman, easily one of the most successful former young actresses, briefly experimented with cutting herself. So Demi is by no means down and out.