In a conversation with Drew Barrymore, Demi Lovato broke down how being the “breadwinner” of their family at a young age affected their family dynamic.
After Barrymore had Lovato as a guest on her daytime talk show in April, Demi returned the favor by hosting the Golden Globe-winning actress on the latest episode of the podcast 4D With Demi Lovato. Having both entered the entertainment industry before the age of 10 — with Lovato starring on Barney & Friends and Barrymore securing her breakout role in E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial — the former child stars had to handle a lot of adult responsibilities. And Lovato says they “cringe” at their attitude that came with that pressure back then.
“I noticed that when I came into the spotlight at a young age and then was the breadwinner, there wasn’t a dossier, there wasn’t a manual for my parents to read and it say, ‘Here’s what to do to raise a child star,'” Lovato said. “They didn’t get that. So when they would try to ground me at 17, I would say, ‘I pay the bills.’ I cringe now when I think about that attitude. But when the world is putting you on a pedestal, you kind of think that you could do no wrong. As I’ve gotten older, I see my parents just as big kids themselves.”
