Fox Theatre or Fox Theater or Fox Theater Building and variations may refer to:

• Fox Theatres, a defunct chain of movie theaters

in Canada

• Fox Theatre (Toronto)

in the United States (by state then city or town)

• Fox Theatre (Atlanta, Georgia), listed on the NRHP in Fulton County, Georgia
• Fox Theatre Historic District, Atlanta, Georgia, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in Fulton County, Georgia
• Fox Tucson Theatre, listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in Pima County, Arizona
• Fox Theater (Bakersfield, California)
• Fox Theatre (Fullerton, California)
• Fox Theater, Westwood Village, Los Angeles, California
• Fox Oakland Theatre
• Pomona Fox Theater, Pomona, California, listed on the NRHP in California
• Riverside Fox Theater, Riverside, California, listed on the NRHP in California
• Fox Theatre (San Francisco, California)
• Fox Theatre (Boulder, Colorado)
• Blue Fox Theatre, Grangeville, Idaho, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in Idaho County, Idaho
• Fox Theater (Hutchinson, Kansas), listed on the NRHP in Reno County, Kansas
• Colonial Fox Theatre, Pittsburg, Kansas, listed on the National Register of Historic Places listings in Crawford County, Kansas
• Fox Theatre (Detroit, Michigan), Detroit, Michigan, listed on the NRHP in Michigan
• Fox Theater (Joplin, Missouri), listed on the National Register of Historic Places listings in Jasper County, Missouri
• Fox Theatre (St. Louis, Missouri), listed on the NRHP in Missouri
• Fox Theatre (North Platte, Nebraska), listed on the National Register of Historic Places in Lincoln County, Nebraska
• Fox Theatre (Las Cruces, New Mexico)
• Fox Theatre (Portland, Oregon)
• Fox Theater (Spokane, Washington), listed on the NRHP in Spokane County, Washington
• Fox Theatre (Green Bay, Wisconsin), listed on the National Register of Historic Places in Brown County, Wisconsin
• Fox Theater (Stevens Point, Wisconsin), listed on the National Register of Historic Places in Portage County, Wisconsin

This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.

Nancy Grace
Born	Nancy Ann Grace (1959-10-23) October 23, 1959 (age 52) Macon, Georgia, United States
Education	Valdosta State University Mercer University (BA, JD) New York University (LLM)
Occupation	Political commentator, television personality, former prosecutor
Years active	1996–present
Notable credit(s)	Closing Arguments anchor (1996–2007) Nancy Grace anchor (2005–present)
Religion	Christian
Spouse	David Linch (2007–present)
Children	Lucy Elizabeth, John David

Nancy Ann Grace (born October 23, 1959) is an American legal commentator, television host, television journalist, and former prosecutor. She frequently discusses issues from what she describes as a victims' rights standpoint, with an outspoken style that has won her both praise and condemnation. She is the host of Nancy Grace, a nightly celebrity news and current affairs show on HLN, and she was the host of Court TV's Closing Arguments. She also co-wrote the book Objection! — How High-Priced Defense Attorneys, Celebrity Defendants, and a 24/7 Media Have Hijacked Our Criminal Justice System. She was also the host of Swift Justice with Nancy Grace, a syndicated courtroom reality show on which her replacement, former Clark County District Court Judge Jackie Glass, was announced May 24, 2011, effective at the end of its first season.

Early life[link]

Nancy Grace was born in Macon, Georgia, the youngest of three children, to Mac Grace, a freight agent for Southern Railway, and Elizabeth Grace, a payroll clerk for a manufacturing plant.^[1] Grace has two older siblings: a brother, Mac Jr., and a sister, Ginny.^[2] The members of the Grace family have been longtime members of Macon's Liberty United Methodist Church, where Nancy's mother Elizabeth plays the church organ and her father Mac was once a Sunday School teacher.^[2]

Grace attended high school at Macon's Windsor Academy, graduating in 1977.^[3] She attended Valdosta State University, and later received a B.A. from Mercer University.^[4] As a student, Grace was a fan of Shakespearean literature, and intended to become an English professor after graduating from college.^[1] However, after the murder of her fiancé, Keith Griffin, when she was 19, Grace decided to enroll in law school and went on to become a felony prosecutor and a supporter of victims' rights.^[5]

Grace was a member of the law review at and received her Juris Doctor from the Walter F. George School of Law at Mercer. She went on to earn a Master of Laws in constitutional and criminal law from New York University.^[5] She has written articles and opinion pieces for legal periodicals, including the American Bar Association Journal.^[5] Grace worked as a clerk for a federal court judge and practiced antitrust and consumer protection law with the Federal Trade Commission.^[5] She taught litigation at the Georgia State University College of Law and business law at GSU's School of Business.^[5] As of 2006, she is part of Mercer University's board of trustees and adopted a section of the street surrounding the law school.

Career as prosecutor[link]

Grace worked for nearly a decade in the Atlanta-Fulton County, Georgia District Attorney's office as Special Prosecutor. Her work focused on felony cases involving serial murder, serial rape, serial child molestation, and arson.^[6]

Grace left the prosecutors' office after the District Attorney she had been working under decided not to run for reelection.^[7]

Prosecutorial misconduct[link]

The Supreme Court of Georgia has twice commented on Grace's conduct as a prosecutor. First, in a 1994 heroin drug trafficking case, Bell v. State, the Court declared a mistrial, saying that Grace had "exceeded the wide latitude of closing argument" by drawing comparisons to unrelated murder and rape cases.^[8]

In 1997, the court was more severe, overturning the murder-arson conviction of businessman W. W. Carr in the death of his wife. While the court said its reversal was not due to these transgressions, since the case had turned primarily on circumstantial evidence, it nevertheless concluded "the conduct of the prosecuting attorney in this case demonstrated her disregard of the notions of due process and fairness, and was inexcusable."^[9] Carr was freed in 2004 when The Georgia Supreme Court ruled unanimously that Fulton County had waited too long to retry him, thereby unfairly prejudicing his right to a fair trial.^[10]

Despite upholding the conviction she sought, a panel of the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals wrote in a 2005 opinion that Grace "played fast and loose" with her ethical duties and failed to "fulfill her responsibilities" as a prosecutor in the 1990 triple murder trial of Herbert Connell Stephens.^[11] The court agreed that it was "difficult to conclude that Grace did not knowingly use ... [apparently false] testimony" from a detective that there were no other suspects, despite the existence of outstanding arrest warrants for other men.^[11]

Career as broadcaster[link]

After leaving the Fulton County prosecutors' office, Grace was approached by and accepted an offer from Court TV founder Steven Brill to do a legal commentary show alongside Johnnie Cochran. When Cochran left the show, Grace was moved to a solo trial coverage show on CourtTV.^[7]

In 2005, she began hosting a regular primetime legal analysis show called Nancy Grace on CNN Headline News (now HLN) in addition to her CourtTV show.^[6] On May 9, 2007, Grace announced that she would be leaving Court TV to focus more on her CNN Headline News Program and charity work.^[12] She did her last show on Court TV on June 19, 2007.

Nancy Grace has a distinctive interviewing style mixing vocal questions with multimedia stats displays. The Foundation of American Women in Radio & Television has presented Nancy Grace with two Gracie Awards for her Court TV show.^[6]

Nancy Grace had been covering the Casey Anthony story for years. After the controversial verdict ruled that Casey Anthony was not guilty, her show on HLN had its highest ratings ever in the 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. hour slots on Tuesday, July 5, 2011.^[13]

Controversies[link]

In 2011 a New York Times article David Carr wrote “Since her show began in 2005, the presumption of innocence has found a willful enemy in the former prosecutor turned broadcast judge-and-jury." He criticized her handling of the kidnapping of Elizabeth Smart, the Duke lacrosse team rape case, the Melinda Duckett interview and suicide and the Caylee Anthony case. George Washington University law professor Jonathan Turley told Carr that Grace, as an attorney and reporter, “has managed to demean both professions with her hype, rabid persona, and sensational analysis. Some part of the public takes her seriously, and her show erodes the respect for basic rights.”^[14]

Elizabeth Smart kidnapping[link]

During the 2002 Elizabeth Smart kidnapping case, when suspect Richard Ricci was arrested by police on the basis that he had a criminal record and had worked on the Smarts' home, Grace immediately and repeatedly proclaimed on CourtTV and CNN's Larry King that Ricci "was guilty," although there was little evidence to support this claim. She also suggested publicly that Ricci's girlfriend was involved in the cover-up of his alleged crime. Grace continued to accuse Ricci, though he died while in custody.^[15]

It was later revealed that Smart was kidnapped by Brian David Mitchell and Wanda Barzee, two individuals with whom Richard Ricci had no connection.^[16]

When CourtTV confronted Grace seven months later to ask whether she was incorrect in her assertion that Ricci was guilty, and whether or not she felt bad about it in any way, she stated that Ricci was "a known ex-con, a known felon, and brought suspicion on himself, so who could blame anyone for claiming he was the perpetrator?" When Larry King asked her about the matter, she equated criticism of herself with criticism of the police in the case. She said: "I'm not letting you take the police with me on a guilt trip."^[17]

In July 2006, Grace interviewed Smart, who was promoting a legislative bill. Grace repeatedly asked her for information regarding her abduction. Smart told her she didn't feel comfortable discussing it, despite Grace's persistence in the matter. Finally, Grace stopped when Smart said she "didn't appreciate you [Grace] bringing all this up."^[18]

Duke lacrosse allegations[link]

Grace took a vehemently pro-prosecution position throughout the 2006 Duke University lacrosse case, in which Crystal Gail Mangum, a stripper and North Carolina Central University student, falsely accused three members of Duke University's men's lacrosse team of raping her at a party. Prior to Duke suspending its men's lacrosse team's season, she sarcastically noted on the air, "I'm so glad they didn't miss a lacrosse game over a little thing like gang rape!" and "Why would you go to a cop in an alleged gang rape case, say, and lie and give misleading information?"^[19] After the disbarment of District Attorney Mike Nifong, Attorney General Roy Cooper pronounced all three players innocent of the rape charges made by Mangum and Nifong.^[20] On the following broadcast of her show, Grace did not appear and a substitute reporter, Jane Velez-Mitchell, announced the removal of all charges.^[21]

Suicide of interviewee Melinda Duckett[link]

In September 2006, 21-year-old Melinda Duckett committed suicide following an interview conducted by Grace concerning the disappearance of Duckett's 2-year-old son Trenton.^[22]

Grace interviewed Duckett less than two weeks after the child went missing, questioning her for her alleged lack of openness regarding her son's disappearance, asking Duckett "Where were you? Why aren't you telling us where you were that day?"^[23] Duckett appeared confused and was unable to answer whether or not she had taken a polygraph test. When Grace asked her why she could not account for specific details, Duckett began to reply, "Because I was told not to," to which Grace responded, "Ms. Duckett, you are not telling us for a reason. What is the reason? You refuse to give even the simplest facts of where you were with your son before he went missing. It is day twelve." According to the CNN transcript, Duckett replied, "(INAUDIBLE) with all media. It's not just there, just all media. Period." Grace then moved on to a media psychologist who asserted that Duckett was "skirting around the issue."^[22][23]

The next day, before the airing of the show, Duckett shot herself, a death that relatives claim was influenced by media scrutiny, particularly from Grace.^[22][24] Speaking to The Orlando Sentinel, Duckett's grandfather Bill Eubank said, "Nancy Grace and the others, they just bashed her to the end. She was not one anyone ever would have thought of to do something like this."^[22] CNN has also been criticized for allowing the show to air in the wake of Duckett's suicide.^[25] Police investigating the case had not named Melinda Duckett as a suspect in the case at the time, but after her suicide the police did say that, as nearly all parents are in missing-child cases, she was a suspect from the beginning.^[22]

In an interview on Good Morning America, Nancy Grace said in reaction to events that "If anything, I would suggest that guilt made her commit suicide. To suggest that a 15- or 20-minute interview can cause someone to commit suicide is focusing on the wrong thing."^[26] She then said that, while she sympathized with the family, she knew from her own experience as a victim of crime that such people look for somebody else to blame.^[27]

While describing it as an "extremely sad development," Janine Iamunno, a spokeswoman for Grace,^[22] said that her program would continue to follow the case as they had a "responsibility to bring attention to this case in the hopes of helping find Trenton Duckett." Grace commented that "I do not feel that our show is to blame for what happened to Melinda Duckett. The truth is not always nice or polite or easy to go down. Sometimes it's harsh, and it hurts."^[22]

On November 21, 2006, thesmokinggun.com exposed pending litigation on behalf of the estate of Melinda Duckett, asserting a wrongful death claim against CNN and Grace. The attorney for the estate alleges that, even if Duckett did kill her own son, Grace's aggressive questioning traumatized Duckett so much that she committed suicide. She also argues that CNN's decision to air the interview after Duckett's suicide traumatized her family. Trenton has never been found.^[25][28]

On November 8, 2010, Grace reached a settlement with the estate of Melinda Duckett to create a $200,000 trust fund dedicated to locating Trenton. This settlement was reached a month before a jury trial was scheduled to start. According to the agreement, if the young boy is found alive before he turns 13, the remaining proceeds in the trust will be administered by a trustee – Trenton's great-aunt Kathleen Calvert – until he turns 18 and the funds are transferred for his use. If Trenton is not found by his 13th birthday, or if he is found but is not alive, the funds will be transferred immediately to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. "We are pleased the lawsuit has been dismissed. The statement speaks for itself," a spokeswoman for CNN said.^[29]

Caylee Anthony case[link]

From 2008 to 2011 the Caylee Anthony disappearance and the prosecution, trial and acquittal of her mother Casey Anthony on charges of murder of the child were a regular feature of the Nancy Grace show. She would reveal every new detail of the story.^[30] Her program is cited as having "almost single-handedly inflated the Anthony case from a routine local murder into a national obsession".^[31] Nancy Grace referred to Casey Anthony as the "tot mom," a phrase Elizabeth Flock in the Washington Post described as “almost derisive-sounding.”^[32]

The Nancy Grace audience more than doubled in the weeks after the start of the Anthony trial.^[33] David Carr wrote that Grace took her show to the trial scene in Clearwater, Florida in order to “hurl invective from a close, intimate distance.”^[14] Grace expressed rage at Anthony's acquittal right after announcement of the verdict, saying: "Tot Mom's lies seem to have worked. The devil is dancing tonight."^[31]

In a press conference after the verdicts were read, Cheney Mason, one of Casey Anthony's defense attorneys, blamed the media for a "media assassination" which led to public hatred toward Casey Anthony. He also said: "I can tell you that my colleagues from coast to coast and border to border have condemned this whole process of lawyers getting on television and talking about cases that they don't know a damn thing about, and don't have the experience to back up their words or the law to do it."^[34]

Grace took it personally and responded, "What does he care about what pundits are saying?" Stating she had as much legal experience as Mason, she criticized the defense attorneys for taking on the media before mentioning Caylee's name in their news conference and stated that "[T]here is no way that this is a verdict that speaks the truth."^[34]

Michelle Zierler, director of the Project in Law and Journalism at New York Law School said Grace "is always certain that the defendant is guilty and needs instant punishment" and this had affected her analysis of the case.^[34] Howard Finkelstein, the Broward County, Florida public defender said "Nancy Grace should offend every journalist out there. These lawyers on TV during the Anthony trial only offered one side, everybody believed them, and now you've got a big chunk of the population that thinks the legal system let them down. Every time that happens, you lose part of the national community."^[31]

On the day Casey Anthony was sentenced on misdemeanor counts of lying to investigators, a supporter held a sign reading: "Nancy Grace, stop trying to ruin innocent lives. The jury has spoken. P.S. Our legal system still works!"^[35]

In a televised appearance with media expert Dan Abrams, Grace stated about Anthony’s being freed from jail that “No one wishes for vigilante justice; nobody advocates that. People who are opposed to the jury verdict, that think it was wrong, are really seeking justice, and I do not believe those people are interested in harming Tot Mom Casey Anthony.” Abrams commented that “There are too many people out there who love Nancy Grace, who watch Nancy Grace on a regular basis, who are going to see her (C.Anthony) out there somewhere and are going to give her a very, very hard time wherever she goes.”^[36]

Whitney Houston death[link]

Mainstream media have suggested that Grace made "wildly speculative" allegations on her program that the investigation into Whitney Houston's death should include the possibility that someone may have been responsible for drowning Houston. Some reporters have pointed out that Grace should have waited for the coroners report before making this allegation.^[37]

Other work[link]

Grace co-wrote the book Objection! — How High-Priced Defense Attorneys, Celebrity Defendants, and a 24/7 Media Have Hijacked Our Criminal Justice System, which was published by Hyperion on June 8, 2005. The book caused notable controversy^{[citation needed]} because Grace referred to defense lawyers as "pigs" and compared them to Nazi concentration camp guards.^{[citation needed][specify]}

According to an article first published by the New York Daily News in September 2006, Grace plagiarized 359 words spread sequentially across pages 204–5 of the book, lifted without indication from an August 5, 2002, article in The New York Times written by Sabra Chartrand. Hyperion accepted Grace's claim that the plagiarism was an "inadvertent error" but insisted that Grace send a letter to the Times promising that the content would be corrected in future printings. Hyperion explained that under contract, Grace must hold the publisher harmless in the event that the Times filed a lawsuit against her.^{[citation needed]}

Nancy Grace's first work of fiction, The Eleventh Victim, also published by Hyperion, was released on August 11, 2009. The mystery thriller follows a young psychology student, Hailey Dean, whose fiancé is murdered just weeks before their wedding. She goes on to prosecute violent crime and is forced to reckon with what she left behind.^[38] Publishers Weekly described it as "less than compelling."^[39] A second novel, Death on the D-List, was published on August 10, 2010.

Nancy Grace has also helped staff a hotline at an Atlanta battered women’s center for 10 years.^[5]

Recently, she was featured as a spoof of herself on the Fox TV series, Raising Hope.

Personal life[link]

Marriage and motherhood[link]

In April 2007, Grace married David Linch, an Atlanta investment banker, in a small private ceremony. The two had met while she was studying at Mercer University in the 1970s. Grace, who had given up on marriage after the death of her fiancé, said, "We've been in touch all these years, and a lot of time, we were separated by geography and time. It was a spur-of-the-moment decision to get married. I told my family only two days before the wedding."^[40]

On June 26, 2007, an emotional Grace announced on her HLN talk show that her life had "taken a U-turn" in that she was pregnant and expecting twins due in January 2008.^[41][42] Lucy and John David arrived on November 4, 2007.

Allegations regarding fiancé's murder[link]

In March 2006, an article in the New York Observer suggested that in her book Objection!, Grace had embellished the story of her college fiancé's 1979 murder and the ensuing trial to make it better support her image. Grace has described the tragedy as the impetus for her career as a prosecutor and victims' rights advocate, and has often publicly referred to the incident.^[43] The Observer researched the murder and found several apparent contradictions between the events and Grace's subsequent statements, including the following:

• Her fiancé, Keith Griffin, was shot not at random by a stranger, but by a former coworker, Tommy McCoy.
• McCoy did not have a prior criminal record and, rather than denying the crime, confessed on the night of the murder.
• The jury deliberated for a few hours, not days.
• There was no ongoing string of appeals (McCoy's family did not want any). McCoy has only once filed a habeas petition, which was rejected.

Grace told the Observer she had not looked into the case in many years and "tried not to think about it."^[43] She said she made her previous statements about the case "with the knowledge I had."^[43]

In response to Keith Olbermann's claims in a March 2007 Rolling Stone interview in which he was quoted as saying, "Anybody who would embellish the story of their own fiancé's murder should spend that hour a day not on television but in a psychiatrist's chair,"^[44] Grace stated, "I did not put myself through law school and fight for all those years for victims of crime to waste one minute of my time, my energy, and my education in a war of words with Keith Olbermann, whom I've never met nor had any disagreement. I feel we have X amount of time on Earth, and that when we give in to our detractors or spend needless time on silly fights, I think that's abusing the chance we have to do something good."^[44][45]

Keith Griffin's murderer, Tommy McCoy, was released from the Georgia Department of Corrections on December 5, 2006.^[46]

Grace in popular culture[link]

"Dancing With the Stars"[link]

Grace was a contestant on the thirteenth season of the popular ABC Reality Television Show Dancing with the Stars, which began airing September 19th, 2011. She was partnered with pro-dancer Tristan MacManus. The couple lasted for 8 weeks and placed 5th overall in the competition before being eliminated on November 8th, 2011, just one week shy of the semi-finals.

"Raising Hope"[link]

In early April 2012, Grace appeared on the 2 last episodes of the second season of the TV show Raising Hope playing herself. It was the first time Nancy Grace was seen playing a comic character on television.

"Law and Order" connection[link]

The Law & Order programs often base their fictional stories on real-life events and have featured stories based on Grace on several occasions.^[47]

In the episode "Haystack" of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, an overzealous reporter named Cindy Marino (played by Kali Rocha) causes the mother of a kidnapped son to commit suicide, echoing the Melinda Duckett incident.^[48]

Grace has also been parodied repeatedly on Law & Order: Criminal Intent by a character named Faith Yancy (Geneva Carr) who hosts a similar talk show (Inside American Justice) that sensationalizes whatever case the main characters are working on and makes it difficult for them to gain access to key witnesses. The character has appeared on the episodes "In the Wee Small Hours" (original air date November 6, 2005), "Masquerade" (original air date October 31, 2006), "Albatross" (original air date February 6, 2007), "Neighborhood Watch" (original air date August 10, 2008), and "Lady's Man" (original air date June 28, 2009).^[49]

On May 22, 2007, Grace appeared in the Law & Order: Special Victims Unit episode "Screwed" the season 8 finale, playing herself opposite Star Jones.^[50]

Bibliography[link]

• Objection! — How High-Priced Defense Attorneys, Celebrity Defendants, and a 24/7 Media Have Hijacked Our Criminal Justice System. Hyperion. 2005. pp. 336. ISBN 978-1-4013-0180-4. 
• The Eleventh Victim. Hyperion. 2009. pp. 368. ISBN 978-1-4013-0345-7. 
• Death on the D-List. Hyperion. 2010. pp. 281. ISBN 978-1-4013-2313-4. 

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Nancy Grace

• CNN's Nancy Grace Show
• CNN's Bio of Nancy Grace
• CNN Transcript: Interview with Larry King
• CNN Transcript: "Nancy Grace" Show

Demi Lovato
Lovato in 2010
Background information
Birth name	Demetria Devonne Lovato
Born	(1992-08-20) August 20, 1992 (age 19) Albuquerque, New Mexico, U.S.
Genres	Pop, pop rock, R&B, dance
Occupations	Singer-songwriter, actress, musician, activist, The X Factor USA judge
Instruments	Vocals, guitar, piano
Years active	2002–present
Labels	Hollywood
Associated acts	Joe Jonas, Jonas Brothers, Selena Gomez, Miley Cyrus
Website	demilovato.com Demi Lovato's signature

Demetria Devonne "Demi" Lovato^[1] (born August 20, 1992)^[2] is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and actress. Her earliest roles included Angela on Barney & Friends, before she became better known for her starring roles in the Camp Rock movies, as Sonny Munroe in the Disney sitcom Sonny with a Chance, and as the star of the 2009 movie Princess Protection Program. She is also involved in philanthropic activities through charity work and various social and environmental causes.^[3]

As a solo musical artist, Lovato released her debut album Don't Forget on September 23, 2008. The album debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 selling 89,000 copies in the first week.^[4] It has since shipped over 500,000 copies, earning a gold certification in the United States.^[5] Lovato released her second album, Here We Go Again, on July 21, 2009.^[6] The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, selling 108,000 copies in the first week.^[7] Her third studio album, Unbroken, was released on September 20, 2011 and peaked at number four on the Billboard 200. She is working on her fourth studio album.

In Fall 2012, Lovato will be a judge on the second season of the American version of The X Factor.^[8]

Early life[link]

Lovato was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico on August 20, 1992, and raised in Dallas, Texas.^[1] She is the daughter of Dianna Hart de la Garza (born Dianna Lee Smith) and Patrick Martin Lovato.^[9] Her ancestry includes Mexican, Irish, Italian, and English.^{[9][10][11][12]} She has an older sister, Dallas Lovato, and a younger half-sister, Madison de la Garza, from her mother's re-marriage.^[1] Her mother was a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader and country music recording artist.^[13] Lovato began playing piano at the age of seven.^[14] Lovato also began her acting career at the age of seven on the children's television series Barney & Friends as Angela, appearing in seasons seven and eight alongside long time friend Selena Gomez.^[15] In an interview with Ellen DeGeneres, Lovato revealed going through painful experiences with bullying in the seventh grade.^[16] According to Lovato, the bullying was so bad that one day, in a fit of frustration and distress, she requested her mom give her a home-schooled education.^[17] Lovato earned a high school diploma through homeschooling in April 2009.^[18] Lovato also stated in an interview with 20/20 in 2011 that she had had a "really unhealthy relationship with food" since age 8 due to bullying experienced as a child, and self-mutilated her wrists to cope with her emotions and depression since age 11.^[19] Lovato later became a spokesperson for anti-bullying organization PACER and appeared on America's Next Top Model^[20] and CNN to speak out against bullying.^[21] She has described herself as very spiritual rather than very religious and said she believes in God.^[22]

Acting career[link]

[edit] 2006–09: Camp Rock and Sonny With a Chance

Lovato with her Camp Rock co-stars, the Jonas Brothers, in London, 2008

In 2006, Lovato guest starred on Prison Break as Danielle Curtin in the episode "First Down." She also appeared in the second season of the television sitcom Just Jordan as Nicole, in the episode "Slippery When Wet." In January 2007, she landed the role of Charlotte Adams on the Disney Channel Original Short Series, As the Bell Rings, which premiered on August 26, 2007. A few of her original songs, including "Shadow", were featured on the show. In the summer of 2007, Lovato auditioned for the Disney Channel television film Camp Rock and the television series Sonny with a Chance in the same day and got both parts.^[23] For Camp Rock, she submitted an audition tape and Gary Marsh, Disney's president of entertainment, asked her to sing.^[24] She sang Christina Aguilera's "Ain't No Other Man", and Hollywood Records senior vice president Bob Cavallo said that their "jaws just dropped".^[24] Lovato received the lead role in Camp Rock,^[24] and a record deal with Hollywood Records in early 2008.^[23] In Camp Rock she played Mitchie Torres, a fourteen-year-old girl with hopes of becoming a singer. The movie premiered on June 20, 2008, in the United States on the Disney Channel with 8.9 million viewers, making Lovato a household name among young viewers.^[25] Its Disney Channel Italy premier received 1.14 million viewers on September 2008.^[26] Merchandise of the film is sold at Target, Claires, and Limited Too. They include clothing (such as pajamas, T-shirts, and underwear), bags (tote bags, backpacks, etc.), bedding collection, toys, and dolls of the characters. Play Along Toys, so far, has only released dolls of Mitchie and Shane. On May 13, 2008, Disney published Camp Rock: the Junior Novel, by Lucy Ruggles, the novelization of the film. Target retail stores sell "special editions" of the novel, hardcover books that include photos.

Starting in 2009, Lovato appeared as Sonny Munroe in the Disney channel comedy Sonny With a Chance. The show featured Lovato as the newest cast member on the show-within-a-show So Random!. The series debuted on February 8, 2009 in the United States. This is the first Disney Channel Original Series to be shot and aired in high-definition from the beginning; like most of Disney Channel's sitcoms, it is shot on tape, but uses a "filmized" appearance. The second season, some scenes are shot on location. The series is one of three Disney Channel Original Series to feature a show-within-a-show, with the others being The Famous Jett Jackson and Shake It Up. The series officially ended on January 2, 2011. Gary Marsh, president of entertainment, Disney Channel Worldwide, stated "This series is rooted in one of the core thematic attributes that we stand for, which is following your dreams, there also was the opportunity to do a hybrid show."^[27] The show began production on September 15, 2008 and the first season was taped at Stage 11 at NBC Studios in Burbank, California;^[27] for the second season, the show's production moved to Hollywood Center Studios in Hollywood, California, where The Suite Life on Deck, Wizards of Waverly Place and Jonas L.A. are also taped. In June 2009 Lovato co-starred in Princess Protection Program as Princess Rosalinda alongside Selena Gomez on the Disney Channel.^[28] The made-for-television movie is the third highest rated Disney Channel Original Movie, premiering on the Disney Channel with 9.8 million viewers. Laura Fries of Variety magazine describes the film as being "light as a summer breeze on the Louisiana bayou". Although the film does not stray far from the Disney formula, she praises writer Annie DeYoung for providing young girls a nice message about self-esteem. She says the film should be a hit with the channel's target audience.^[29]

[edit] 2010–present: Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam and hiatus

2010 World Tour in September 2010

In September 2009, production began for Camp Rock's sequel, Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam. The Disney Channel Original Movie premiered on September 3, 2010.^[30][31] The film was watched by 7.9 million viewers on its premiere night,^[32] about 1 million less viewers than its predecessor. In 2010 it also became the most watched cable television programme that week,^[33] as well as the No. 1 movie by number of viewers on 2010's cable television.^[32] In its second broadcast on September 4, the film reached 3.7 million viewers.^[33] The film also reached 21 million unique viewers over its premiere weekend from September 3 to September 6.^[34] In its UK premiere on September 17, 2010 in was watched by 637,000 viewers. The film received generally mixed reviews. The review aggregate website Rotten Tomatoes reported that 40% of critics gave the film mixed reviews, based on 5 reviews (3 'Rotten' and 2 'Fresh'), with an average score of 6.1/10.^[35] The film currently holds an 8.7 rating, earning it a "Great" film rating on TV.com.^[36] Lovato appeared as a guest star in an episode of the medical drama series Grey's Anatomy as a teenage patient named Hayley May, whose parents brought her in for schizophrenia.^[37] In a review of the episode, EW.com praised her performance, stating, "I still believe that even an unbiased observer would conclude that the Disney princess did a fine job acting it up as a suicidal 16-year-old who was admitted after trying to claw her own eyes out."^[38] On April 19, 2011, People.com reported that Demi Lovato would not be returning for the third season of Sonny With a Chance due to her health issues.^[39] As a result, the show will be renamed So Random! and focus only on the sketches rather than the behind-the-scenes antics. As a result of Lovato's departure from Sonny with a Chance, the series is the second Disney Channel original series to have its lead actor/actress leave during the series' run (after So Weird), and the fourth Disney Channel series to have a main cast member leave the series during its run (with That's So Raven and Jonas L.A. also included).^[40] The third season was then turned into its own new series based on its new format. On leaving the show, Lovato satated "...it's kind of sad for me that a chapter of my life has ended but there couldn't be a better time for me to move on...I don't think going back to Sonny would be healthy for my recovery...Being in front of a camera would make me nervous."^[41]

Lovato said in an April 2012 interview with KOKO POP UK that music is currently her "top priority", but that she is "kind of getting the itch to get back into acting, so we'll see what comes next."^[42] In an interview with Fabulous Magazine UK, Lovato will not come back to acting until she is fully confident. "I need to be secure in my body before I go back in front of the camera. Anyone in recovery from an eating disorder would find that triggering, and I'm not ready," she says.^[43]

Music career[link]

[edit] 2007–09: Camp Rock soundtrack and Don't Forget

Lovato at the premiere of Hannah Montana: The Movie in April 2009

Lovato's music career began in 2007, when several of her original songs, including "Shadow", were included on the mini-series As the Bell Rings. In 2008, Lovato signed with Hollywood Records after getting the lead role in the film Camp Rock.^[23] She provided vocals on four of the songs featured on the Camp Rock soundtrack, including "We Rock", "Who Will I Be", "Our Time Is Here" and "This Is Me" featuring Joe Jonas.^[44] The song peaked at #9 on the Billboard Hot 100 and peaked at the top 20 in Australia, Canada and Norway. The soundtrack was released on June 24, 2008. The song peaked at number 3 on the US Billboard 200 and topped the US Billboard Top Soundtracks and peaked at the top 10 in Canada, Italy, Mexico, New Zealand and Spain. The soundtrack has sold over 1 million copies and was certified Platinum in the United States. Full songs of the album were made available on Camp Rock's official web site for one week, beginning June 10, 2008, and the full soundtrack premiered on Radio Disney on June 14, 2008 during Planet Premiere: Camp Rock. The soundtrack was released in the UK on July 14, 2008.The soundtrack album (both original and two-disc collector's edition) is an enhanced CD which contains a clip of an acoustic version of "This Is Me" when played on the computer with internet access. On November 16, 2008, a karaoke/instrumental version of the Camp Rock soundtrack was released. It is not available on iTunes, but can be purchased in stores such as Wal-Mart, Target, etc. In June and July 2008, Lovato performed at various House of Blues and parks for her Demi Live! Warm Up Tour in preparation for the release of her debut album and the Burnin' Up Tour with the Jonas Brothers. Lovato served as the support act on the Jonas Brothers' Burnin' Up Tour from July through September 2008.

Lovato's debut album, Don't Forget was released on September 23, 2008. The bulk of the album was co-written with the Jonas Brothers, who also produced the album with John Fields. They co-wrote ten songs in a week during the band's headlining Look Me in the Eyes Tour.^[45] The album is of the pop-rock genre and is lyrically similar to other teen-pop albums. It peaked at number two on the Billboard 200, selling 89,000 units in its first week of release. It has since sold over 500,000 records in the US.^[46] Critics noticed the distinct sound of the Jonas Brothers in the production of the album. Don't Forget spawned two singles. The first single released was "Get Back". It was written by Lovato, the Jonas Brothers, and produced by the Jonas Brothers alongside John Fields. The song features Jack Lawless on drums and John Taylor and the Jonas Brothers on guitars. The initial writing of the song took place when Lovato wanted to write a song about getting back together with an old boyfriend, as opposed to writing mean or heartbroken songs. The was released as the album's lead single on August 12, 2008, by Hollywood Records. Musically, the song is an upbeat pop rock and power pop song with a guitar-driven sound. The song was met with positive reviews from critics and performed average commercially, peaking at number forty-three on the Billboard Hot 100 and ninety-three on the Canadian Hot 100. In Australia, the song peaked at number ten on the ARIA Hitseekers chart. The accompanying music video, directed by Philip Andelman, shows Lovato and her band performing the song on top of an abandoned building with Manhattan Bridge in the background. Lovato has performed the song on several occasions, including the opening of the 2008 Disney Channel Games and the The Ellen DeGeneres Show. The second and final single, "La La Land", was released on April 10, 2009 through Hollywood Records. It was written by Lovato and the Jonas Brothers, and produced by the Jonas Brothers alongside John Fields. It is one of six songs on the album co-written by the Jonas Brothers, who also contributed backing vocals and guitars to the track. Lovato said that she wrote the song about being yourself in Hollywood and not letting other people change who you are. Musically, the song is a guitar-driven pop rock song and the lyrics speak of Lovato feeling "out of place" in Hollywood. The song was met with positive reviews from critics. Commercially, the song peaked at number fifty-two on the Billboard Hot 100, and number thirty-five on the UK Singles Chart. The song achieved its highest peak in Ireland, where it reached number thirty on the Irish Singles Chart. It was less successful in Australia and Germany, where it peaked in the lower half of the charts. The accompanying music video was directed by Brendan Malloy and Tim Wheeler, and follows the song's Hollywood theme. It was used to promote Lovato's Disney Channel sitcom Sonny with a Chance, and features guest appearances from her co-stars. Lovato joined Disney's Friends for Change, an organization which promotes "environmently-friendly behavior," and appears in its public service announcements to raise awareness for the cause on the Disney Channel.^[47] Lovato, Selena Gomez, Miley Cyrus, and the Jonas Brothers recorded "Send It On," a charity single that served as the theme song for the organization in 2009. The song debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 at #20.^[48][49] Disney's Friends for Change directed all of its proceeds from "Send It On" to environmental charities to the Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund.^[48] Lovato and Joe Jonas "Make a Wave" in 2010, the second charity single that currently serves as the theme song for Disney's Friends for Change.

[edit] 2009–10: Here We Go Again and Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam soundtrack

Lovato and her band performing on her 2009 Summer Tour

Lovato embarked on the Summer Tour 2009 to promote her second album, Here We Go Again, released in the summer of 2009.^[50] The album debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 with 108,000 records sold in its first week.^[51] The album was more inspired by acoustic music, such as John Mayer's songs, than her debut's pop rock-influenced sound.^[52] The album received favorable reviews from critics,^[53] Billboard called Lovato "a natural talent who could really take flight after outgrowing Disney."^[54] Allmusic ranked Here We Go Again as one of the best pop albums of 2009.^[55] The album was preceded by the lead single, "Here We Go Again," which was released on June 23, 2009.^[56] It was written by Isaac Hasson, Lindy Robbins and Mher Filian and produced by SuperSpy, for Lovato's second studio album of the same name (2009). It was released as the album's lead single on June 23, 2009, through Hollywood Records. Musically, the song is a power pop song with guitar lines and pop hooks, and the lyrics speak of the protagonist's on-off relationship with a hesitant boyfriend. The song received positive reviews from critics, who praised its pop hook and made comparisons with works by Kelly Clarkson. The song peaked at number 15 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became Lovato's first top 40 hit on the chart as a solo artist.^[57] The song also peaked at number 38 in New Zealand and in the lower region of the Canadian Hot 100. The accompanying music video was directed by Brendan Malloy and Tim Wheeler. The album's second and final single, "Remember December," was released on November 17, 2009. It was written by John Fields, Lovato and Anne Preven, and produced by Fields. The song was released as the album's second and final single outside North America on January 18, 2010, through Hollywood Records. The song adapts power pop and synthpop genres and diverges from Lovato's usual pop rock sound. The lyrics describe the protagonist's attempt to remind her boyfriend of the good times of their relationship. Lovato described the song's sound as an example of what she wanted her future music to sound like. The song received generally positive reviews from music critics; the majority of them praised its hook and chorus. Several critics also named it one of the album's standouts. The song underperformed commercially; it only managed to reach #6 on Billboard's Bubbling Under Hot 100 (number 106 on the Hot 100) and it peaked at number 80 on the UK Singles Chart. Tim Wheeler directed the accompanying music video, which features appearances from Lovato's female co-stars in Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam. Instead of including a love interest in the clip, Lovato chose to give it a theme of female empowerment. Lovato has performed the song numerous times, including on her tour Summer Tour 2009 and The Alan Titchmarsh Show. Lovato's South American Tour^[58] was her first international headlining tour. The tour commenced on May 23, 2010, in Santiago, Chile, and concluded on May 28, 2010, in São Paulo, Brazil. She later joined the Jonas Brothers Live in Concert tour as a special guest.^[59]

The soundtrack, Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam, was released on August 10, 2010. She provided vocals on nine of the songs featured on the soundtrack, including "Brand New Day", "Can't Back Down", "It's On", "You're My Favorite Song", "What We Came Here For", "This Is Our Song", "Different Summers", "It's Not Too Late" and "Wouldn't Change a Thing".^[60] The song was released on July 31, 2010. The song was released as the soundtrack's fourth single. The song failed to chart in the US Billboard Hot 100 but peaked at number 10on the US Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart.^[61] The soundtrack peaked at number 3 on the US Billboard 200 and topped the US Billboard Top Soundtracks, and peaked at the top 10 in Brazil, Canada, Italy and Spain. The soundtrack has sold over 500,000 copies and was certified Gold in the United States. The tour is actually Jonas Brothers' 2010 World Tour, which special guests are Demi Lovato and the cast of Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam. The Camp Rock 2 Tour is officially called Jonas Brothers 2010 World Tour/Camp Rock 2 Tour.^[62] Meaghan Martin was not be on tour due to filming a movie. The tour started on August 7, 2010, two weeks later than planned.

[edit] 2010–present: Sonny with a Chance soundtrack, Unbroken and fourth studio album

Demi Lovato at the Festival Verano Iquique in Chile, February 2012

The soundtrack, Sonny with a Chance, was released on It was released on October 5, 2010 from Walt Disney Records. She provided vocals on four of the songs featured on the soundtrack, including "So Far, So Great", "Me, Myself and Time", "What to Do" and "Work of Art". It debuted at no. 163 on the Billboard 200, making it Lovato's lowest debut and peaking soundtrack there.^[63] It also debuted at number 3 on the US Kid Albums and at number 8 on the US Top Soundtracks.^[63] Two singles were released from the soundtrack. The first single to be released was "So Far, So Great". It was released on June 9, 2009 and is the theme song for the series. It first appeared on the album Disney Channel Playlist, and was later released on Demi Lovato's album Here We Go Again as a bonus track.^[64][65] The song is about chasing your dreams. It has also received rotation on Radio Disney. Lovato performed the song in her "Summer Tour 2009". It is the ninth and final track of the soundtrack, written by Jeannie Lurie, Aris Archontis and Chen Neeman and the length of the song is two minutes and fourteen seconds. The second single to be released was "Me, Myself and Time". It was published for the title track of the CD. It was released digitally on August 3, 2010, but was shown worldwide on April 11, 2010, the episode was issued Sonny With a Song in the United States chapter of the series in which Sonny shows her singing career performing the song appears to promote the fashion line of her character. The song managed to peak at number 6 on the US Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart.

Demi Lovato live in Credicard Hall in São Paulo, Brazil 2012.

Lovato's third studio album, Unbroken, was released on September 20, 2011.^[66][67] Lovato began working on the album in July 2010, prior to receiving treatment. She had described it as having a more soulful and R&B inspired sound, citing Keri Hilson and Rihanna as inspirations for the sound.^[68] After Lovato's stint in the treatment facility, producer Timbaland expressed interest in working with her.^[69] Lovato confirmed in July 2011 that she was working on a duet with the producer. The album was described as more "radio friendly" than her previous albums, as she planned to incorporate dance, hip-hop and R&B styles in it. The song received mixed to positive reviews from music critics, praising Lovato's vocals and growth in musicianship compared to her previous two albums, as well as some of the album's ballad tracks. The first single off the album, "Skyscraper", premiered on July 12, 2011, as a promotional single, before the album released. It was written by Toby Gad, Lindy Robbins and Kerli Kõiv and produced by Gad. The song was inspired by a picture of the apocalypse, in which the world was in ruins, and among collapsed buildings, one skyscraper was still standing. Kerli originally recorded "Skyscraper" and Gad offered it to Lovato, who wanted to record it as she felt that both she and her fans could relate to it. When recording it in 2010, Lovato was very emotional which triggered outbursts and caused her to start crying. Later the same year, she entered a treatment facility to deal with her personal struggles. After finishing it in early 2011, she re-recorded the song, but kept the original recording as she felt that it was "symbolic" to her. "Skyscraper" was released on July 12, 2011 via Hollywood Records as the first single from Unbroken. According to Lovato, the song represents the journey she had been on the previous year. Musically, "Skyscraper" is a ballad and the lyrics speak of staying strong and believing in yourself. The track opens with a lonely piano that is soon accompanied by heavy percussion. Lovato showcases breathy and quivering vocals throughout the song. The song was very well received by music critics and also by the media, with the majority of them praising Lovato's vocals and the inspirational lyrics. Upon its release, it was also met with praise from celebrities on the microblogging site Twitter. The song debuted at number ten on the Billboard Hot 100, spending a total of 17 weeks on the chart. The song became Lovato's highest-peaking single on the chart since "This Is Me" peaked at number nine in August 2008. "Skyscraper" sold 176,000 paid digital downloads in its first week of release in the United States, setting a sales record for Lovato. Internationally, the song reached the top twenty in Canada, New Zealand, and the U.S. In August 2011, the song was awarded with Summer Song at the Teen Choice Awards. The song was also officially certified Gold in Australia on April 3, 2012.^[70] The song has sold over 1,000,000 digital copies and was officially certified Platinum in the United States on April 24, 2012.^[71] The song's accompanying music video was directed by Mark Pellington and shot in the Bonneville Salt Flats for twelve hours. Lovato performed the song for the first time at the Do Something Awards on August 18, 2011. The album officially released on September 20, 2011, with sales exceeding 96,000 copies in its first week of release.^[72] On October 24, 2011, Lovato performed the National Anthem at Game 5 of the 2011 World Series.^[73] The album's second single, "Give Your Heart a Break", was officially released on January 23, 2012.^[74][75] The track was written and produced by American songwriters Josh Alexander and Billy Steinberg. Musically, it is a dance-pop ballad that comprises instruments like the drums, violin and strings; the latter two, according to music critics, are reminiscent of those used in Coldplay's "Viva la Vida" (Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends, 2008). Hollywood Records serviced the song to mainstream radios on January 23, 2012 in the United States. Lyrically, the song chronicles the protagonist's attempt to win over her lover who has been hurt in a relationship. The song received critical acclaim from contemporary music critics, praising the production as well as Lovato's vocals. The single reached number seventy on the US Billboard Hot 100, and has so far peaked at number 43. It also reached number thirty-nine in Brazil. In Belgium, it peaked at number 32. The music video for the song features Lovato attempting to persuade her lover into falling in love with her again, creating a collage of photographs taken during the video that when put together create a photo of the two in each other's embrace. Lovato has promoted the song through several stage performances, including her performance at the Z100 Jingle Ball concert. Lovato revealed her Summer Tour 2012 and will begin on June 12, 2012 and end on September 1, 2012.

On April 4, 2012, Lovato announced on Twitter that writing for her fourth studio album had began, saying that she was "so excited to start writing for my fourth album", and that "this time, there's NO holding back.."^[76][77]

Other work[link]

Philanthropy[link]

Lovato has partnered with mall proprietor GGP as the face of Shop Til You Rock, a music-inspired series of public events, which kick off at malls around the US in Summer 2010. The combines the season’s hottest fashions & today’s most popular musical guests in a series of interactive events.^[78] Lovato is also the spokesperson for anti-bullying organization PACER. Lovato explained to NY Post about becoming a spokesperson against bullying “Bullying is a very serious thing to me, I’ve witnessed it first hand – I was bullied myself when I was 12, I want to be able to help other girls around [my sister’s] age come into their own with a strong confidence in their skin, their size, who they are and everything about themselves.” Lovato is also the spokesperson for the Join the Surge Campaign!, DoSomething.Org and the Clean & Clear Brand launched Joining the Surge, which is a national campaign that empowers teenagers to take action in their communities.^[79]

Lovato is involved in Disney's Friends for Change, an organization which promotes "environmently-friendly behavior", and appears in its public service announcements to raise awareness for the cause on the Disney Channel.^[47] Lovato, Selena Gomez, Miley Cyrus, and the Jonas Brothers recorded "Send It On", a charity single which serves as the theme song for Disney's Friends for Change in 2009. The song debuted on the Hot 100 at number twenty.^[48][49] Disney's Friends For Change will direct all of its proceeds from "Send it On" to environmental charities to the Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund.^[48] Lovato and Joe Jonas recorded a new song called "Make a Wave", the second charity single which serves as the theme song for Disney's Friends for Change in 2010. In January 2010,^[80] Lovato was one of the many stars featured in a public service announcement for Voto Latino in order to promote the organization's "Be Counted" campaign for the 2010 United States Census.^[81] Lovato is also part of the "A Day Made Better" School Advocacy Campaign.^[82] "The campaign is giving a deserving teacher with $1,000 in school supplies on behalf of OfficeMax’s “A Day Made Better” school advocacy campaign."^[83]

Lovato has also supported charities such as DonateMyDress.org, Kids Wish Network, Love Our Children USA, ST. Jude Children's Research Hospital, and City of Hope.^[84] To raise awareness about personal issues similar to her own, Lovato became a Contributing Editor to Seventeen magazine. She will discuss her personal issues as a part of a larger campaign called "Love is Louder than the Pressure to Be Perfect", directed towards teen girls.^[85]

[edit] Judge on The X Factor

In 2012, rumors that Lovato and Miley Cyrus were in talks to be replacement judges on the season two of the American version of The X-Factor, in hopes of luring a younger audience, began circulating.^[86] Lovato reportedly signed a deal to judge the show on May 13, 2012.^[87] On May 14, 2012, it was officially confirmed that Spears and Lovato would join The X Factor as the two newest judges.^[88] When asked about the new judges, Cowell said: "I'm absolutely delighted Britney and Demi are joining us. Britney remains one of the biggest stars in the world, she's talented, fascinating – and I believe she knows exactly how to spot The X factor. Demi's had an amazing career in music, TV and film for someone her age. She's young, confident, and enthusiastic. I think it’s really important that she speaks to our younger audience. The new panel will be dynamic and will work really well with the changes we are making to the show."^[89]

Personal life[link]

In an interview with Ellen DeGeneres, Lovato admitted to going through painful experiences with bullying in the seventh grade.^[90] According to Lovato, the bullying was so bad that one day, in a fit of frustration and distress, she requested her mom give her a home-schooled education.^[91] In an interview with Fabulous Magazine UK, she said that: "They called me a whore and told me I was fat and ugly. I shouldn't have listened, but I took it to heart and it hurt. I thought maybe I didn't have friends because I was too fat," she remembers. So she starved herself, and anything she did eat, she threw up again. Within six months she had lost over 2st and weighed 6st 4lb - unhealthy for her 5ft 2in height. "I'd make myself sick up to six times a day," she says. "My mum was worried, but because I was going through puberty I was having growth spurts so she assumed that was why I was thinner."^[43] She wrote the song "For the Love of a Daughter" about her estranged father. According to Fabulous Magazine UK, the song is about the rift between Lovato and her father after he - seemingly keen to cash in on his daughter's notoriety - did a series of interviews about her. The betrayal is still raw, and she says she has no interest in rebuilding a relationship with him.^[43] In an MTV interview, Lovato stated that she likes metal music, particularly black metal and metalcore. She called symphonic black metal band Dimmu Borgir "one of her favorite live acts".^[92] On the July 24, 2009 episode of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, Lovato stated that three of her favorite bands were metalcore/symphonic black metal band Abigail Williams, deathcore band Job for a Cowboy and southern metal band Maylene and the Sons of Disaster. On another episode of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, after her release of Unbroken, she stated that she is now more into hip-hop and R & B styles of music, and has moved on from death metal. In the March 2009 issue of Teen Vogue, Lovato stated, "My first passion is music, because it comes naturally to me. Acting has been like a hobby."^[93] Lovato is a Christian and prays with her band before they perform.^[1] She was best friends with Selena Gomez, whom she has known since Lovato "asked her to sit on my jacket and draw with crayons with me" at the Barney & Friends auditions. On March 12, 2010, Lovato confirmed that she had begun dating Joe Jonas, whom she first met while filming Camp Rock in 2007.^[94] On May 24, 2010, Lovato confirmed via her official Twitter that she and Jonas were no longer together. In an interview with UsMagazine, Jonas stated, "Demi and I knew that going into our romantic relationship it may not be an easy one. I realize that over the time we have spent together that I feel I care more about our friendship right now. It was my choice to break up, but I love her as a friend. She's been there for me when I needed her. I will continue to be her friend and be there for her." Lovato is a vegetarian.^[95] Lovato has been honored The Honorary Ambassador of Education award from the American Partnership For Eosinophilic Disorders.^[96] In 2010, on her 18th birthday, Lovato bought her family a Mediterranean Style house in Los Angeles. She said, "For me to give that to my family on my birthday, that was the best present." then added, "It's got pretty much everything you could possibly imagine in it. It's the most beautiful, homey-feeling house. I love it."^[97] Lovato also purchased their current $1.88 million home in Toluca Lake, LA. She bought the house when she was 16 years old.^[98]

Public image[link]

Lovato has been described as an "inspirational person" and has inspired many people after her going through her treatment facility, her release of her song "Skyscraper", and her release of her documentary, Demi Lovato: Stay Strong.^[99] She has inspired many celebrities including Lucy Hale, Katy Perry, Pete Wentz, Selena Gomez, Ashley Tisdale, Kelly Clarkson, Jordin Sparks, Kim Kardashian, Victoria Justice, Cheryl Cole and Britney Spears. ^{[100][101][102]}

Personal struggles[link]

On October 30, 2010, Lovato dropped out of the Jonas Brothers Live in Concert World Tour 2010 in order to enter a treatment facility to treat physical and emotional issues.^[103] The tour was not scheduled to be complete until November 13, 2010. Lovato's publicist stated that "she regrets not being able to finish her tour, but is looking forward to getting back to work in the near future."^[104][105] In particular, many media sources immediately reported that Lovato had decided to enter treatment right after punching a Jonas Brothers back-up dancer, Alex Welch, on a flight out of Bogotá, Colombia, allegedly because Lovato believed that Welch had informed tour managers of inappropriate behaviour on Lovato's part the previous night, causing Lovato to be confronted by her managers and her stepfather, Eddie de la Garza.^[106] Days after Lovato entered rehab, photos circulated on the internet showing Welch sporting a black eye. Welch subsequently confirmed that the story was true, noting that she had been blindsided by the assault. Although Lovato had pulled aside the tour's back-up dancers prior to the flight and threatened, "If I find out who told on me...", Welch was not concerned because she had not witnessed what had happened the previous night and was not the dancer who had informed on Lovato. Welch claimed that she "didn't get a call or text from Demi or a 'hey, you got a problem with me,' nothing." She said Lovato simply approached her during the flight, punched her, and then "literally walked away and got in her seat." Lovato's representatives responded by saying, "We are in the process of engaging with Alex's lawyer and hope to resolve this as quickly as possible."^[107] Lovato's camp reached a financial settlement with Welch in late December 2010, with Welch stating that the agreement stipulated for a portion of the settlement to be donated to charity.^[108] On January 28, 2011, it was reported that Lovato had completed her inpatient treatment.^[109] She took six months off from the limelight after leaving rehab.^[43] The day after the announcement, a Disney spokesperson told People that Disney "support[s] Demi's decision to put her health first and [they] send her [their] best wishes".^[110]

On January 28, 2011, it was reported that Lovato had completed her inpatient treatment at the rehab facility and returned home to Los Angeles, where she "will continue to see doctors" to "help her work on the issues she confronted in treatment."^[111] On March 8, 2011 an exclusive video was released on Cambio.com in which Lovato thanked her fans for their support during what she described as "the darkest time of my life" and also stated that she was excited to get back to work.^[112] Lovato granted her first post-rehab interview to ABC newscaster Robin Roberts, which aired on Good Morning America and 20/20 on April 22, 2011. During the interview, Lovato confirmed reports that her treatment was for bulimia and self-injury, and had taken place at the Timberline Knolls facility in Illinois after the aforementioned confrontation between her and Welch led to an intervention by her family and management team. Her condition came to a head during the tour because Lovato "was performing concerts on an empty stomach...I was losing my voice from purging. I was self-medicating. I was not taking medication for depression, and I literally was so emotionally whacked out that I took it out on someone that meant a lot to me." Later elaborating on this "self-medicating", Lovato said, "I'm not gonna lie. I was self-medicating. I was doing things like drinking and using [drugs], like a lot of teens do to numb their pain."^[113] Lovato expressed regret at her actions towards Welch, stating "I take 100 percent, full responsibility..."^[114] In another interview, Lovato added that she had "basically had a nervous breakdown",^[19] and was also diagnosed with bipolar disorder during her treatment.^[115] As part of her efforts to raise awareness about issues similar to her own, Lovato was announced in April 2011 as a Contributing Editor to Seventeen magazine. She will discuss her personal issues as a part of a larger campaign called "Love is Louder than the Pressure to Be Perfect", directed towards teen girls.^[116]

On December 23, 2011, Lovato posted a message on Twitter criticizing her former network for airing episodes of Shake It Up and So Random! which featured characters making jokes about eating disorders.^{[117][118][119]} Disney Channel publicity officials quickly took action and apologized to Lovato, then removed those episodes from the network's airing cycle and video on demand sources, after further criticism in the wake of Lovato's message to the network's public relations account.^{[120][121][122][123]} On March 2012, Lovato released her MTV documentary special called "Stay Strong" about her time in rehab.^[124] In the documentary, she opened about her fans, battling her eating disorders and getting back to touring.^[125]

Filmography[link]

Discography[link]

Studio albums[link]

• 2008: Don't Forget
• 2009: Here We Go Again
• 2011: Unbroken

Soundtracks[link]

• 2008: Camp Rock
• 2010: Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam
• 2010: Sonny with a Chance

Live albums[link]

• 2009: Live: Walmart Soundcheck

Tours[link]

Awards and nominations[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

	Biography portal
	United States portal
	Music portal

Find more about Demi Lovato on Wikipedia's sister projects:
	Images and media from Commons

• Official website
• Demi Lovato's channel on YouTube
• Demi Lovato on Google+
• Demi Lovato at the Internet Movie Database