Demi Lovato speaks out in first statement since suspected overdose
Demi Lovato. (LISA O’CONNOR/AFP/Getty)
Demi Lovato has promised she will keep fighting in the first statement issued by the singer and songwriter since a suspected overdose.
In her statement on Instagram on Sunday (August 5), Demi addressed the issue of substance abuse head on, writing: “I have always been transparent about my journey with addiction. What I’ve learned is that this illness is not something that disappears or fades with time. It is something I must continue to overcome and have not done yet.”
The 25-year-old star, who had celebrated six years of sobriety in March, was brought to the Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre in Los Angeles on July 24 due to a medical emergency. She had recently released a single called “Sober” where she appeared to suggest she was struggling with addiction again.
Demi filmed her music video for “Really Don’t Care” at LA Pride (demi lovato/youtube)
In the Instagram post, she thanked everyone who has supported her in the past few weeks: “I want to thank God for keeping me alive and well. To my fans, I am forever grateful for all your love and support.”
“I want to thank my family, my team, and the staff at Cedars-Sinai who have been by my side this entire time. Without them I wouldn’t be here writing this letter to all of you,” she wrote.
Demi then expressed her intention to pursue a path of rehabilitation. “I now need time to heal and focus on my sobriety and road to recovery. The love you have all shown me will never be forgotten and I look forward to the day where I can say I came out on the other side,” she wrote, adding: “I will keep fighting.”
Demi accepting the GLAAD Vanguard Award in 2016 (Frederick M. Brown/Getty)
The message, liked by more than 4 million people at the time of writing, received thousands of comments including celebrity friends and fans of the singer who . “Despacito” singer Luis Fonsi, who collaborated with Demi on the Spanish-language track “Échame la Culpa,” wrote: “Mucho amor Demi. We love you.”
Actor Dwayne Johnson, aka The Rock, wrote: “You will come out on the other side. Stay strong D.”
Singer Camila Cabello let four heart emojis speak for her feelings, while Khloe Kardashian wrote: “You are a warrior!! Focus on you and know that everyone is routing [sic] for you! You are so very loved!!!!!”
Demi Lovato performs “Skyscraper” at the March for Our Lives rally (Chip Somodevilla/Getty)
Demi has long supported LGBT+ rights, revealing last year that she was open to dating women. An anti-bullying activist, the singer chose Danica Roem, the first transgender person to be elected to the Virginia House of Representatives, to be her date to the American Music Awards.
