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Demi Lovato Releases 'Simply Complicated' Documentary Detailing Personal Battles & Triumphs

By Colin Stutz
10/17/2017
By Colin Stutz
10/17/2017

The pop star discusses her past while taking viewers through the creation of her latest album, out on the town and inside her romantic life.

Demi Lovato has released her new documentary, Simply Complicated, and it lives up to its name -- tracking the pop star's tumultuous past with straight-forward accounts of the personal struggles that nearly destroyed her life and details the making of her latest album, Tell Me You Love Me. 

Simply Complicated was released Tuesday (Oct. 17) via YouTube and delves into Lovato's history with a mind of the present, as she narrates the piece through a series of interviews and brings viewers into her private life. Nick Jonas, her manager Phil McIntyre and Lovato's friends and family all make appearances as well. 

Drama is rife throughout the film, starting early on with Lovato's abusive biological father, who suffered from addiction and ultimately left the family when she was still young. While Lovato goes on to seemingly inherit some of the same self-sabotaging tendencies and is vulnerable to drug and alcohol addiction -- as well was battles with eating disorders and manic depression -- nearly hitting rock-bottom behind-the-scenes, her story is one of triumph. She is now five years sober and channeling her focus to her art and physical exercise with great success. 

Artist Mentioned

Demi Lovato

Simply Complicated also offers a look at Lovato as a 25-year-old woman, largely outside of her celebrity (though it is hard to avoid). She speaks personally and amicably about her long-term relationship with Wilmer Valderrama, which ended last year, as well as buying her first house and attending the frequent Los Angeles party Emo Night. She also discusses reentering the dating pool via the app Raya, noting she has a thing for athletes and is currently open to meeting both men and women romantically.

Ultimately, beyond the complexities of Lovato's private life and any specific headlining-grabbing details, Simply Complicated shows that the singer's missteps and hardships are essential elements to her story, music and relationship with her fans. And any imperfections from her past have borne bravery for her future. 

"I know what music can get you through, I know what music can do emotionally for somebody because I've experienced it myself," she says at the film's end. "And I wanted to create that for other people. There's nothing more beautiful than being able to connect with people through music, in my eyes."

Watch Demi Lovato: Simply Complicated here:

By Colin Stutz
10/17/2017