Demi Lovato is in hospital today, reportedly stable after a suspected overdose — the latest relapse in a years-long battle with addiction the singer has fought under the glare of public scrutiny.
The heartbreaking health incident comes just a month after the former Disney teen star, 25, issued a disarmingly candid new single called Sober.
At around the same time, Lovato reportedly fired several key members of her team - reportedly people who had helped keep her sober for years now.
"This is absolutely what so many people feared would happen. She has not been sober for quite some time but more tragically, has had no interest in being sober," People quotes an inside source as saying.
The star recently split with her life coach, Mike Bayer, as well as letting go several other members of her team.
"Things have been a total mess for months. She and her team severed ties, and they played a large part in getting her sober years ago. She hasn't been in a good place," People quotes another source as saying.
Lovato's shiny, happy pop music has become somewhat more personal in recent years — she'd sung about her bisexuality on the 2015 hit Cool For the Summer — but current single Sober is something else.
The stark piano ballad, released with little fanfare on June 21, sees Lovato sing in brutal detail about her struggles with addiction. The lyrics detail a relapse for the star who had previously marked six years of sobriety from drug and alcohol issues.
She begins:
I got no excuses for all of these goodbyes
Call me when it's over 'cause I'm dying inside
Wake me when the shakes are gone
And the cold sweats disappear
Call me when it's over and myself has reappeared
"I don't know why I do it every time — it's only when I'm lonely," Lovato confesses, before a chorus that runs:
Momma, I'm so sorry, I'm not sober anymore
And daddy, please forgive me for the drinks spilt on the floor
To the ones who never left me, we've been down this road before
I'm so sorry … I'm not sober anymore
In the second verse, Lovato apologises to the fans who've "watched her fall again" — "I wanna be a role model, but I'm only human."
The song ends with a haunting final two lines in which she pledges to regain her sobriety.
I'm sorry that I'm here again, I promise I'll get help
It wasn't my intention, I'm sorry to myself.
Lovato first performed the song during a show in Lisbon on June 24, posting video from the performance online with the caption that suggested the relapse was behind her: "Tonight I took the stage, a new person with a new life."
As Lovato's old demons once more rear their heads, many of her contemporaries are today sending their love and calling for compassion and empathy around addiction issues:
Sending Prayers for Demi Lovato you just never know what people are going through so please have compassion & no jokes🙅🏾 but let’s be encouraging so she will get the help she needs❤️🙏🏾 https://t.co/1BMTn8k88i
— Missy Elliott (@MissyElliott) July 24, 2018
i love u @ddlovato
— Ariana Grande (@ArianaGrande) July 24, 2018
I’m praying for you with everything in me @ddlovato. You are so loved.
— Bebe Rexha (@BebeRexha) July 24, 2018
sending huge recovery love to Demi. this is a very personal moment and respected delicately. all we can do is send our best wishes and love. addiction isn’t simple nor easy. you’re very loved, @ddlovato you’ll beat this as you did before. 🙏🏽
— Kehlani (@Kehlani) July 24, 2018
If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction issues and needs support please contact the Alcohol Drug Helpline on 0800787797.