Photo: Cate Grouber for iHeartRadio
Demi Lovato is explaining her choice to be candid about her time in rehab.
During an appearance on the Wednesday (October 22) episode of the Las Culturistas podcast, the "Confident" singer shared more on her decision to be open about going to rehab after a "very public outburst" when she was younger. Lovato received inpatient treatment for emotional and physical issues in 2010, where she also was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, per People.
"I had a decision that had to be made when I had gone to treatment for the first time. I had this very public outburst when I was 18, and which I talk about in some of my documentaries, but God, there's so many," she said, adding, "And in that moment, my manager at the time asked me, like, 'Do you want to be public with what you're going through, or do you want to sweet it under the rug and not talk about it, which you have a right to both.'"
After emphasizing that "you don't owe anybody anything," Lovato explained how she ultimately decided to be vulnerable about her personal struggles and her rehab journey to inspire others who may be going through something similar.
"I was like, 'I didn't have a role model at 13 that was speaking up about eating disorders and I need to be that role model for someone else,'" she said. "It was this responsibility that I was willing to take on because I wish that I could have had that growing up. [...] Especially at the time when the beauty standards were, you know, very dangerous. And so I wanted to be that for other people."
The "Sorry Not Sorry" hitmaker noted that there were older stars who were open about their own issues, but not many of a younger demographic who she "could relate to at 13."
"And that's kind of the catalyst for why I've been open about all of my struggles as in that moment when I made that decision, it set the tone for the rest of my life of like, you know, I wanna help people," she said. "And the best way I know how is sharing my personal experience with them."