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Home / Entertainment

Demi Lovato recreates her nearly fatal drug overdose in new music video

BANG! Showbiz
2 Apr, 2021 09:53 PM3 mins to read

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Demi Lovato's emotionally charged music video for her latest single "Dancing With The Devil" premiered earlier this week. Photo / YouTube

Demi Lovato's emotionally charged music video for her latest single "Dancing With The Devil" premiered earlier this week. Photo / YouTube

Demi Lovato says it was her decision to document her overdose in her new video.

The "Confident" hitmaker was rushed to hospital after suffering a near-fatal drug overdose in 2018.

As part of her new music video, "Dancing with the Devil", she visually documents being put on a ventilator in hospital.

Demi Lovatoi was strapped to a ventilator in order to keep her breathing. Photo / YouTube
Demi Lovatoi was strapped to a ventilator in order to keep her breathing. Photo / YouTube

Speaking to SiriusXM's The Morning Mash Up, she said: "That was my decision. And, I wanted to take you through that night in a more in-depth level because I felt like I detailed it so much in the documentary that, obviously, I didn't have to talk about it again. But I wanted to give a visual to that and I wanted people to have kind of like a more visual understanding of what happened that night."

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Demi previously admitted her drug abuse "saved her life at times".

She explained: "If people are using drugs or if they are dealing with an eating disorder or self-harm that they want to die.

"In the same way it almost killed me, it saved my life at times, because there were times that I dealt with suicidal ideations. And had I gone forward with that in that moment, instead of another destructive coping mechanism, I wouldn't be here to tell my story ... I turned to those mechanisms because I genuinely was in so much pain that I didn't want to die and I didn't know what else to do."

Demi Lovato was rushed to hospital in 2018 after an overdose and has recently opened up about that night in a new documentary on YouTube. Photo / YouTube
Demi Lovato was rushed to hospital in 2018 after an overdose and has recently opened up about that night in a new documentary on YouTube. Photo / YouTube

Despite her battles with addiction, Lovato has taken a "California Sober" approach, meaning she drinks alcohol and smokes marijuana in moderation, but she insisted what is right for her wouldn't necessarily be right for others with her background.

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She said recently: "I've learned that it doesn't work for me to say that I'm never going to do this again ... I know I'm done with the stuff that's going to kill me, right? Telling myself that I can never have a drink or smoke marijuana, I feel like that's setting myself up for failure because I am such a black-and-white thinker.

Despite battles with addiction, she drinks alcohol and smokes marijuana in moderation. Photo / Youtube
Despite battles with addiction, she drinks alcohol and smokes marijuana in moderation. Photo / Youtube

"I had it drilled into my head for so many years that one drink was equivalent to a crack pipe ... [I've] been smoking weed and drinking in moderation."

To create an accurate depiction of her trauma, Lovato wore a golden blonde wig - reminiscent of her hair at the time of her overdose.

Lovato "didn't know" if she'd ever sing again after her near-fatal overdose.

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The "Sober" singer admitted she was "grateful" to still be alive because it could have been very different after her overdose.

Where to get help:

• Lifeline: 0800 543 354 (available 24/7)
• Suicide Crisis Helpline: 0508 828 865 (0508 TAUTOKO) (available 24/7)
• Youthline: 0800 376 633
• Kidsline: 0800 543 754 (available 24/7)
• Whatsup: 0800 942 8787 (1pm to 11pm)
• Depression helpline: 0800 111 757 (available 24/7)
• Rainbow Youth: (09) 376 4155
• Samaritans 0800 726 666
• If it is an emergency and you feel like you or someone else is at risk, call 111.

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