The former star of 'Sonny with a Chance' admits that dealing with her emotional issues during treatment was challenging, but she finds motivation in her younger half-sister Madison De La Garza.
- April 21, 2011
AceShowbiz -
Madison De La Garza apparently takes part in Demi Lovato's road to recovery. In her first TV interview since leaving rehab, 18-year-old Demi told Robin Roberts of "Good Morning America" that she got through the challenging treatment for her emotional issues because she wants to set an example for her younger half-sister.
"A picture of my little sister [Madison], on my little bulletin board, was one of the main things that kept me going. I just kept thinking, 'OK, set this example for your little sister,' " explained the songstress. "The real reason why I'm sitting down with you is to open up the eyes of so many young girls, that it doesn't have to be this way."
In the interview that will air in its entirety on ABC's "20/20" on Friday, April 22, the former star of "Sonny with a Chance" also opened up that childhood bullying has played a part in her eating disorder. She explained, "I literally didn't know why they were being so mean to me. And when I would ask them why, they would just say, 'Well, you're fat.' "
"I was bullied because I was fat. And then a few months later I developed an eating disorder, and that's kind of what I've been dealing with every since," continued the Disney darling, who recently opened up that she also has bipolar disorder. "I was compulsively overeating when I was 8 years old. So, I guess for the past 10 years I've had a really unhealthy relationship with food."
