Demi Lovato says they are no longer California sober following backlash

3 December 2021, 13:15

Demi Lovato opens up about her relapse

By Jazmin Duribe

"I no longer support my 'California sober' ways. Sober sober is the only way to be."

Demi Lovato has revealed that they are no longer California sober.

In their documentary Demi Lovato: Dancing With the Devil, which was released in March 2021, Demi revealed that they were "California sober". Most commonly that means abstaining from all substances apart from cannabis, which is legal in the state of California. Sometimes the definition can include psychedelic drugs like LSD and alcohol.

The 'Stone Cold' singer has struggled with addiction since their teens and had a near-fatal overdose in 2018. As a result, Demi had three strokes and a heart attack, which has left them with brain damage and issues with their vision.

READ MORE: Demi Lovato says she hasn't been "by-the-book sober" since 2019

"Telling myself that I can never have a drink or smoke marijuana, I feel like that's setting myself up for failure because I am such a black and white thinker," Demi explained in the documentary.

"You shouldn't be forced to get sober if you're not ready. You shouldn't get sober for other people. You have to do it for yourself."

Whilst everyone's sobriety journey is different, because Demi almost died and has been left with long-lasting medical issues stemming from their overdose, they received critical comments from their closest friends, family and even music legend Elton John for being California sober.

"Sorry, if you drink, you’re going to drink more. If you take a pill, you’re going to take another one. You either do it or you don’t," Elton warned in the series.

Now, Demi has taken the advice from her inner circle and announced that they will be fully sober going forward. "I no longer support my 'California sober' ways. Sober sober is the only way to be," Demi declared on Instagram Stories.

Demi previously said that they would no longer be discussing the details of their recovery to avoid critical comments.

In an interview with Zach Sang, Demi said: "For me, I’ve decided that I’m probably never going to discuss the parameters surrounding my recovery and what that looks like. Because when I do get into details with people, it just kind of opens myself up for more scrutiny than I need."

Demi continued: "The only criticism I need is from my treatment team, and if what we’re doing right now is working for me, then I’m gonna keep it between me and them."

READ MORE: Demi Lovato has released a gender-inclusive sex toy

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