Demi Lovato reveals how her near-fatal overdose in 2018 has affected her health today.
At a Television Critics Association panel Wednesday to promote her upcoming docuseries “Demi Lovato: Dancing with the Devil,” the “Sorry Not Sorry” singer reveals how the incident has affected her physical functions.
“I was left with brain damage, and I still deal with the effects of that today. I don’t drive a car because I have blind spots on my vision,” she told reporters. “And I also for a long time had a really hard time reading. It was a big deal when I was able to read out of a book, which was like two months later because my vision was so blurry.”
In the trailer for the YouTube production, the 28-year-old says she suffered three strokes and a heart attack while hospitalized from the overdose.
“I dealt with a lot of the repercussions and I feel like they are still there to remind me of what could happen if I ever get into a dark place again,” she continued.
“I’m grateful for those reminders, but I’m so grateful that I was someone that didn’t have to do a lot of rehabbing. The rehabbing came on the emotional side.”
Despite all that she went through, Lovato told People that she “wouldn’t change a thing” about what happened.
“Everything had to happen in order for me to learn the lessons that I learned,” she told the outlet. “It was a painful journey, and I look back and sometimes I get sad when I think of the pain that I had to endure to overcome what I have, but I don’t regret anything.”
She added, “I’m so proud of the person I am today. And I’m so proud that people get to see it in this documentary, and I couldn’t be more grateful that I had someone by my side.”
Following a stay in rehab, Lovato made her triumphant return to music in January 2020 when she performed “Anyone” at the 2020 Grammy Awards.
The next month, she performed “The Star-Spangled Banner” at Super Bowl LIV.
If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, please contact the SAMHSA substance abuse helpline at 1-800-662-HELP.
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