Demi Lovato: Simply Complicated
Film poster
Directed byHannah Lux Davis
Produced by
  • Sean Cooley
  • Jamee Ranta
StarringDemi Lovato
CinematographyCarlos Veron
Edited byGrant MacDowell
Music by
  • Demitri Lerios
  • Michael Lerios
Production
company
Philymack Productions
Distributed byYouTube
Release date
  • October 17, 2017 (2017-10-17)
Running time
78 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

This past year has been one of the most transformative years of my life, and I’m looking forward to bringing my fans on this journey of continued growth and self-discovery in both my music and my personal experiences.”

— Lovato on the documentary.[1]

Demi Lovato: Simply Complicated is a 2017 documentary film about the life and career of American singer, songwriter, and actor Demi Lovato, released on YouTube on October 17, 2017 in support of her sixth studio album Tell Me You Love Me.[2][3][4] A director's cut of the documentary including 10 minutes of additional footage was later released on YouTube Premium in December 2017.

Simply Complicated chronicles both the recording of Tell Me You Love Me as well as events in Lovato's life and career that she had not previously disclosed or discussed extensively, including the beginning of her career on Disney Channel and various personal struggles with mental health and addiction. Lovato also admitted to being dishonest about the initial outcome of her recovery in a previous documentary, Demi Lovato: Stay Strong (2012), and revealed she was in fact under the influence of cocaine while being interviewed about her sobriety for that film.[5][6][7][8]

Synopsis

Simply Complicated follows the recording of Lovato's sixth studio album Tell Me You Love Me and features appearances and commentary by several music producers, including Mitch Allan and Oak Felder. The documentary also chronicles Lovato's life and career up until 2017, including her upbringing and early career as a child star on Barney & Friends and later as a teenager on Disney Channel, as well as her first stint in rehab in 2010 for an eating disorder and emotional issues and her subsequent struggles with bipolar disorder[a] and addiction. Lovato's mother Dianna De La Garza and sisters Dallas Lovato and Madison De La Garza also appear, discussing Lovato's talent from an early age as well as her biological father, who was abusive and suffered from alcoholism and substance abuse. The film also features appearances and commentary from Lovato's manager and life coach at the time, Phil McIntyre and Mike Bayer.[5]

Awards and nominations

The film was nominated at the 2018 MTV Movie & TV Awards as Best Music Documentary.[11] The film was also nominated at the 2019 Realscreen Awards for Non-Fiction: Arts & Culture.[12]

Notes

  1. ^ In 2021, Lovato said that her bipolar diagnosis was inaccurate[9] and that it had been revised to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).[10]

References

  1. ^ Fernandez, Alexia (May 4, 2017). "Demi Lovato to Star in YouTube Documentary I Am: Demi Lovato". People. Retrieved May 5, 2017.
  2. ^ Tenreyro, Tatiana (September 26, 2017). "Demi Lovato Announces 'Simply Complicated' Documentary Release Date". Billboard. Retrieved October 17, 2017.
  3. ^ Rodulfo, Kristina (May 5, 2017). "Demi Lovato Is Getting Her Own Documentary". Elle. Retrieved May 5, 2017.
  4. ^ Richford, Rhonda (June 19, 2017). "Cannes Lions: Demi Lovato Touts New YouTube Show 'Simply Complicated'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 20, 2017.
  5. ^ a b "Demi Lovato: Simply Complicated - Official Documentary". YouTube. Retrieved October 21, 2017.
  6. ^ Armstrong, Megan (October 18, 2017). "The 10 Most Honest Confessions From Demi Lovato's 'Simply Complicated' YouTube Documentary". Billboard. Retrieved October 22, 2017.
  7. ^ "Demi Lovato Talks About Casual Sex and Cocaine Addiction in their Revealing 'Simply Complicated'". Maxim. October 22, 2017. Retrieved October 22, 2017.
  8. ^ Fowler, Brandi (October 17, 2017). "Demi Lovato's Childhood Bullies Were So Intense They Petitioned for Her Suicide". InStyle. Archived from the original on October 21, 2017. Retrieved October 22, 2017.
  9. ^ "Demi Lovato Said She Was Misdiagnosed With Bipolar Disorder". InStyle. March 16, 2021. Archived from the original on March 17, 2021. Retrieved June 3, 2022.
  10. ^ Ganz, Caryn (March 16, 2021). "How Honest Can Demi Lovato Be?". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on December 28, 2021. Retrieved March 17, 2021.
  11. ^ "MTV Movie & TV Awards: 'Black Panther', 'Stranger Things' Lead Pack In Nominations". deadline.com. 3 May 2018. Retrieved 8 January 2019.
  12. ^ "Realscreen Awards reveals nominees for 2019 edition". realscreen.com. Retrieved 8 January 2019.

External links

Demi Lovato
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