Demi Lovato has been labeled as many things throughout the years. Drug addict. Alcoholic. Crazy. However, when VALLEY watched her new documentary aptly titled “Simply Complicated,” it was clear that fans and non fans alike will now see her for what she really is—a survivor.
The raw account of her tumultuous life story will give people hope for when they themselves are at their lowest points in life. It begins by making viewers feel as if they are having a conversation with Lovato, as she is casually sitting on her couch at home. She recounts her childhood and scarring experiences of being bullied, then quickly delves into the story of her rapid rise to fame. Of course, she admits that this rise was ultimately her mental health’s demise.
It would be difficult for anyone to put their private life in the public eye. But for someone with the reputation that Lovato gained over the years, it was even more shocking that she wasn’t shy at all to break into the heart of her most difficult moments in life.
In fact, one could even say the documentary helped her reputation become more positive because she was so completely honest. She opened up about incredibly embarrassing moments, even detailing when she physically punched one of her background dancers that ratted her out for trashing a hotel room.
She divulged her past romances, the realities of bipolar disorder, and the difficulty she experiences with her eating disorder and struggles with drug addiction. After her first time in rehab, Lovato said she just wasn’t ready to be sober.
“I was sneaking it on planes. I was sneaking it in bathrooms, sneaking it throughout the night. Nobody knew.”
The transparency that Lovato showed throughout the documentary seems to be the best part to students. She is incredibly more candid than anyone expected her to be.
Sophomore Abby Luke said her favorite aspect about the piece was that, “there were so many things she didn’t have to say, but she did and it added such a level of realness.”
Luke also said she was shocked to see how Lovato’s surrounding people were not afraid to be real with the audience as well.
Because, yes, the documentary obviously features Lovato, but her story is complemented by accounts from her professional team and family as well. These different perspectives give viewers the ability to understand the sense of hopelessness that these people felt for Lovato during her toughest days. They serve to exemplify what countless people go through when their loved ones battle addiction and depression.
However, Lovato made sure to show that she still continues to struggle, and that it’s more than OK to not be perfect. She throws herself into different types of exercise to cope and, of course, her music.
“I know what music can get you through and do emotionally for someone,” Lovato says. “Because I’ve experienced it myself…and I wanted to create that for other people.”
Hearing Lovato’s own music playing in the background throughout the documentary added to the evident progression of self acceptance that the singer embraces. It shows the amount of work and dedication that she puts into each of her songs. Her music is the greatest example of her increased confidence about life itself.
VALLEY gives Lovato’s documentary a definite 10/10. It’s real, emotional, and most of all, inspirational. It will leave anyone who watches it feeling more empowered than before.
Watch the full documentary on YouTube here.
