Demi Lovato tackled child stardom when making her directorial debut with documentary Child Star — but only one of her former Camp Rock costars takes part in the film.
Alyson Stoner — who played Caitlyn alongside Lovato’s Mitchie in both Camp Rock movies — appears in the documentary, but it wasn’t easy for them to say yes.
“My concern was that it would fall under the umbrella of sensationalized E! True Hollywood stories that then actually perpetuated what I call the toddler-to-trainwreck pipeline,” Stoner, 31, told The Hollywood Reporter in a profile published on Wednesday, August 14. Because Stoner and Lovato hadn’t spoken in years, they had a “healing” talk before filming anything.
Lovato has been open about her substance abuse struggles, especially during her time on Disney Channel. Stoner recalled having “a sense of walking on eggshells” when it came to dealing with the “Skyscraper” singer on set. (According to THR, Lovato’s Child Star features a candid conversation between her and Stoner.)
“There was definitely a lot of fear of a blowup,” Stoner recalled to the publication, referring to 2010’s Camp Rock 2 specifically. Lovato had a now-infamous physical interaction with one of the dancers on the Camp Rock 2 tour that same year.
“I think I’d passed the threshold of what I could withstand emotionally and physically,” Lovato explained during her profile for the magazine. “And I didn’t realize that child stardom could be traumatic — and it isn’t traumatic for everyone, but for me, it was.”
Demi Lovato and Alyson Stoner in ‘Camp Rock’ Walt Disney Pictures
Looking back at her Disney Channel days, Lovato made it clear that she doesn’t want to excuse past behavior anymore.
Staying strong. Demi Lovato has been open about their struggle with drugs and alcohol since their first stint in rehab in 2010. Lovato sought treatment at the age of 18 after they got into a fight with one of their backup dancers when they were on tour with the Jonas Brothers. To help maintain their […]
“I think about people in the wardrobe department on my TV show because I’d go in there in bad moods all the time, and I worry about guest stars that came on or the other actors or the people during Camp Rock 2,” she told THR. “And it’s easy to excuse that behavior because I was so young and in so much pain, but I’m really remorseful, and that’s a guilt that stays with you forever.”
Both Lovato and Stoner agreed that there should have been a bigger conversation about their shared experiences when growing up in the industry.
“We were sharing space, and yet there was such an isolation,” Stoner explained, noting that they have higher hopes for the new generation of young stars.
Lovato’s Child Star is set to premiere via Hulu on Tuesday, September 17.
