Demi Lovato: From Meltdown to Redemption

Published
Elle Magazine

Fallen Disney Channel princess Demi Lovato is back after a very difficult year of personal crisis with a brand-new album and a cool new fashion spread in Elle magazine, and we have a first look.

Thrust into adulthood, the 19-year-old Demi was pegged by many as the next Miley Cyrus, but in October of 2010, she checked into an Illinois treatment center following well-publicized theatrics that culminated in her punching her backup dancer in the face while on tour.

"When you punch someone on a plane, enough is enough," Demi tells Elle.

She emerged three months later to candidly reveal her struggles with bipolar disorder, anorexia, bulimia and cutting. She says that bullying at an early age forced her into homeschooling at 12 years old, and although her break-up with Camp Rock co-star Joe Jonas was an aggravating factor in her problems, she points out, "I wouldn't credit my meltdown to a guy. There was so much other stuff in my life."

Now, Demi is poised for a comeback with her as-yet-untitled third album, due out September 20, once again with the help of writer-producer Toby Gad, who has sprinkled gold pixie dust on such artists as Beyonce, Fergie, Miley Cyrus and Selena Gomez.

The first single from the album, Skyscraper, is an anthem for every girl going through a rough patch, and Demi says that while recording it in L.A., "I doubled over, tears streaming down my face. It was a sight to see."