Demi Lovato released the song 'Unforgettable (Tommy's Song)' to pay tribute to her dear friend who passed away in October 2019. Image Source: NME
American singer-songwriter Demi Lovato has been vocal about her struggle with substance abuse, food struggles, and mental health, especially after her overdose in 2018 when she nearly died. Demi, who feels extremely grateful that she survived such an incident, has always tried to have these uncomfortable conversations where she has opened up about how addiction is not a joke and people who are struggling with it must ask for her help.
The American singer, songwriter, and actress want everyone to know that every day is a constant struggle for her or anyone who wants to stay sober, but the determination to lead a life of sobriety and to the fullest potential should be the aim.
The two-time Grammy Award nominee recently released a new single, ‘Unforgettable (Tommy’s Song)’, paying tribute to her late friend Tommy Trussell III, who passed away in October 2019 after battling drug addiction.
Demi took to her social media to share a clip of the song and wrote, "Two years ago I lost someone who meant so much to me. His name was Tommy, and he was such a beautiful, special man. I wrote this song the day after I found out that he had lost his battle with addiction. This disease is extremely cunning and powerful."
The 29-year-old singer shared that all the proceeds from ‘Unforgettable (Tommy’s Song)’ will benefit Ryan Hampton’s ‘The Voices Project’, a non-profit recovery advocacy organization. Demi has also encouraged her fans to call the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s national helpline at 1-800-662-HELP if they or someone they know are struggling with substance abuse or mental health.
Following Tommy Trussell’s death in 2019, Demi paid tribute to her dear friend on social media by sharing pictures with him and a heartfelt caption that said, "Devastated. Please hold your loved one's tight. Tell them they are special and that you love them. Make sure they know it. RIP to my boo."
Demi’s gesture to pay tribute to her friend received a massive amount of support and outpouring love across the globe and her fans and supporters embraced the song by sharing it on their social media. "Tommy touched so many", wrote one of the singer’s fans pages. The Dancing with the Devil artist also responded to a friend who noted that "Tommy is Unforgettable" was trending worldwide on Twitter following the track's release. "This would mean the world to him," they wrote. "Thank you, guys."
The singer opened up about her struggles in a full-fledged way after her overdose in 2018. A four-part YouTube Originals docuseries, ‘Demi Lovato: Dancing With the Devil’," is directed by Michael D. Ratner. The series covers a range of topics, including her overdose and her struggle to open up about it. In January 2021, Lovato shared the title of the series in a social media post, exclaiming, "There has been so much that I've wanted to say" and they felt that this was the right way of doing so.
In the teaser, she mentioned, "I’ve had a lot of lives, like my cat. You know, I’m on my ninth life. I’m ready to get back to doing what I love, which is making music."
Demi has shared that she surrounds herself with supportive people who, in her documentary, also share that her ex-boyfriend, Wilmer Valderrama, has been a rock for her throughout her sobriety journey and is still someone she deeply admires and respects. The pair dated on and off for six years before calling it quits in 2016.
The 'Sorry not sorry’ singer also shared that the pandemic had helped her to heal. "It's very common for people to only really work on themselves when a crisis happens or when they notice that they're slipping into old patterns or behaviors. So to be able to walk into this experience without a personal crisis and just be like, I can do the work on myself now because I have the time. … It was a beautiful thing. I wasn’t in rehab; I was outside in the world with Netflix. So when I was too tired from therapy, I'd put on Schitt's Creek", she shared.
A still from 'Demi Lovato: Dancing with the Devil' documentary. Image Source: Los Angeles Times
"One thing that I think people have a common misconception of is that if people are using drugs, or if they are dealing with an eating disorder or self-harm, that they want to die. I said there were many times in my life that those things stopped me from dying. I think I turned to those coping 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. I did the best that I could at times, and now that I have other tools and other resources, I know how else to deal and how else to cope, so I don't have to resort to those behaviors again,", Lovato told Diane Guerrero on an episode of the Jane the Virgin star's "Yeah No, I’m Not OK" podcast in March 2021.
In March 2021, during an interview with Glamour, Demi revealed that she hasn’t completely cut out marijuana and alcohol since her overdose in 2018, but there is a balance that she maintains. In her documentary, Demi shared that she was taken advantage of when she was unconscious. She shared, "When they found me, I was naked, I was blue. I was literally left for dead after he took advantage of me, and when I woke up in the hospital, they asked if I had consensual sex. There was one flash that I had of him on top of me. I saw that flash, and I said yes. It actually wasn't until maybe a month after my overdose that I realized, 'Hey, you weren’t in any state of mind to make a consensual decision.'"
Last month, Demi Lovato featured on G-Eazy’s latest track, ‘Breakdown’," which focused on both artists’ inner demons. The accompanying music video shows the rapper facing media headlines about his arrest and assault charges, while Lovato faces responses to their overdose. The singer states that she has not completely figured it out, but a few changes here and there have suited her journey to recover and heal and helped her to grow as a human and a musician. Demi came out as non-binary
Demi Lovato launched her own podcast series titled '4D with Demi Lovato' on May 19, 2021, with new episodes releasing every Wednesday. Demi along with her sister Dallas, friend Matthew features on an adventure that takes them to UFO hot spots and out-of-this-world realizations in a four episodes documentary series, 'Unidentified', on Peacock.
If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, please contact the SAMHSA substance abuse helpline at 1-800-662-HELP.
