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- Demi Lovato opened up about being a child star and how it affected their family life and upbringing.
- They admitted being the family's breadwinner impacted their relationship with their parents.
- "As I've gotten older, I see my parents just as big kids themselves," they added.
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Demi Lovato recently revealed what it was like being the breadwinner in their family while growing up.
While in conversation with Drew Barrymore on their podcast "4D With Demi Lovato," the former Disney Channel star opened up about the tensions of being a child star and how that affected their family dynamics.
The "Dancing With the Devil" singer, who recently came out as non-binary, said they already felt "like an adult" when they starred on "Barney and Friends" at just 8 years old.
"I noticed that when I came into the spotlight at a young age, and then was the breadwinner, like you said, there wasn't a dossier, there wasn't a manual for my parents to read and it say, 'Here's what to do to raise a child star.' They didn't get that," Lovato said.
"So when they would try to ground me at 17, I would say, 'I pay the bills.' And I cringe now when I think about that attitude," they added. "But when the world is putting you on a pedestal, you kind of think that you could do no wrong. As I've gotten older, I see my parents just as big kids themselves."
After starring in "Barney and Friends" between 2002 and 2004, the actor expanded their resume in 2008 when they played the lead role in one of Disney Channel's most-watched original movies, "Camp Rock." They portrayed songwriting camper Mitchie Torres alongside Joe Jonas, who played the love interest, Shane Gray.
Lovato also had a leading role on the network's sitcom "Sonny With a Chance" from the ages of 15 to 17.
Demi Lovato/Instagram
Barrymore, whose role in "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial" catapulted her to fame at just six years old, also shared her thoughts on child stardom and not having boundaries with her own parents while growing up.
"I don't think it's the world and the pedestal. I think it's the parent-child dynamic that gets completely reversed. And no wonder you won't take an order from an authority figure who's no longer an authority figure because you've now reduced them down with finances and responsibilities," the "Charlie's Angels" star said.
She added: "I mean, I'm having amazing realizations about my own kids and how little I understood what boundaries were. I didn't have them growing up."
Barrymore continued reflecting on her relationship with her mother, Jaid Barrymore, saying that she saw her relationship with her mom as more of a friendship than a mother-daughter relationship.
"Therefore I had to completely relearn what parent-child dynamic is," the mother-of-two said. The actress co-parents daughters Olive, 8, and Frankie, 7, with ex-husband Will Kopelman.