Demi Lovato turns 19 years old this week. Everyone knows she is a singing sensation and star of “Sonny with a Chance” and “Camp Rock.” But here are ten things you may not know about Demi Lovato.
1. She Finally Named Her New Album
Lovato released her latest single “Skyscraper” on July 12 and the tune soared to the #10 spot on Billboard’s Hot 100 list in its debut week. But the artist remained mum about the title of the forthcoming album due out September 20 – until now. On August 11, she Tweeted, “Do you guys want to know my album title….??!!!?” and then followed the tease with the answer, “#UNBROKEN !!!!!!!!!!!!” The title is a not-so-subtle nod to her recent personal battles and the strength she used to overcome them.
2. She Has Quit TV – At Least for Now
She recently told Ryan Seacrest during a radio interview that she was focusing on her music career for now and that she has “quit TV.” She stated, “I want to do movies and I want to continue to act but right now being on camera isn’t the best thing for me.”
3. She’s Not the Only Entertainer in the Family
Demi’s younger sister Madison De La Garza has appeared on 58 episodes of “Desperate Housewives” playing Gabby Soliz, the daughter of Eva Longoria‘s character. And Lovato’s mom, Dianna Hart de la Garza, entertained the sports world during the 1982-83 NFL season as a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader.
4. She Has More Than One Tattoo
After her stint in rehab for bipolar disorder, which reportedly led to bulimia and cutting, the “Camp Rock” star covered up the scars on her wrists with tats. One reads “Stay” and one says “Strong” as a constant reminder of her ability to overcome life’s obstacles. Her mom got the same tattoos to show her support. But that’s not the only ink Lovato is sporting. She also has a permanent reminder of the lyric to one of her favorite songs, with the words “You make me beautiful” from the Bethany Dillon tune tatooed under her left breast. She once Tweeted, “That song changed my life.”
5. She Left School Because She Was Bullied
In 2008 Lovato revealed to Ellen DeGeneres that she had been bullied in seventh grade. The tormenting got so bad that her classmates circulated a petition that read, “We all hate Demi Lovato.” It was at this point that she asked her mom to homeschool her instead of suffering any further. In 2010 she teamed up with PACER and TeensAgainstBullying.org to help other kids who are being abused.
6. She Almost Wasn’t Sonny
Disney auditioned a young actress named Bridgit Mendler for the title role on “Sonny with a Chance.” In the end they gave the part to Demi Lovato, but Mendler went on to star in “Wizards of Waverly Place” and “Lemonade Mouth” so it all worked out well in the end.
7. She Dated A ‘Glee Project’ Contender
Lovato revealed on Twitter that her first boyfriend was “Glee Project” contender Cameron Mitchell. On June 12 she Tweeted, “Oh my god…. Just saw my first boyfriend ever on the glee project… Just died!!! Small world!!!! Hahahaha.” Mitchell responded by Tweet saying, “Demi Lovato WAS my ex! I was her first boyfriend ever. She was in 7th grade and I was a little older.”
8. She Loves Barney and Selena Gomez
Lovato’s first professional gig was playing Angela on the TV series “Barney & Friends” in 2004 at the age of six. At the audition, she made friends with another actress named Selena Gomez who was also hoping to get on the show. They bonded over a coloring book and became besties.
9. Her Fans Are Called Lovatics!
Demi Lovato fans call themselves “Lovatics.” And she’s got plenty of them. She currently has 9.4 million Facebook fans, four million Twitter followers and 158.8 million upload views on her YouTube channel.
10. She Was Recently Honored for her Charity Work
She was given the Acuvue Inspire Award at the 2011 Teen Choice Awards for her charity work. She was honored for her recent campaign Love is Louder than the Pressure to Be Perfect. She talked about why she started the effort in a YouTube video, “There’s a ton of pressure out there to meet impossible standards – to look right, be smart, be thin, talented and popular. And many of us feel like we have to be everything to everyone, but it doesn’t have to be that way.”
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