Demi Lovato declares they’re no longer ‘California sober’: ‘Sober sober is the only way to be’
Demi Lovato. (Getty for iHeartMedia/ Emma McIntyre)
Demi Lovato has confirmed on their Instagram Stories they no longer practise a “California sober” approach to sobriety.
“I no longer support my ‘California sober’ ways,” the singer wrote. “Sober sober is the only way to be.”
The former Disney star, who survived an opioid overdose in 2018, detailed their experiences with drug abuse and their road to recovery in the four-part YouTube documentary Dancing with the Devil earlier this year.
In the final episode of the series, the singer revealed they were not entirely sober and had began smoking weed and “drinking in moderation”.
Demi Lovato reveals they no longer support being California sober:
“Sober sober is the only way to be” pic.twitter.com/EWkZnWXmD5
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) December 2, 2021
“Telling myself 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 Lovato explained in the documentary.
“I had it drilled into my head for so many years that one drink was equivalent to a crack pipe.
“I don’t want people to hear that and think that they can go out and try just having a drink or smoking a joint because it isn’t for everybody. Recovery isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution and 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.”
The “Sorry Not Sorry” hitmaker, who was recently spotted out clubbing until the early hours with YouTuber Tana Mongeau, confessed at the time they were hesitant to publicly admit to not living a hundred per cent sober lifestyle.
“After nearly dying of the OD and after so many years of being the poster child of sobriety, I didn’t want people to criticise me for that,” they said.
In the documentary, Lovato’s friends, family and mentors expressed concern and in some cases disapproval over their approach to sobriety, with Elton John saying: “Moderation doesn’t work. 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,” declared the legend, who has been sober for more than 30 years.
“Demi knows the whole moderation thing is not something I truly agree with,” manager Scooter Braun is heard saying. Braun, who also manages Justin Bieber and Ariana Grande, continued to say he knows he “can’t control [them]”.
Demi , who came out as non-binary earlier this year, recently spoke about how they struggle to look at old photographs and fan art of themself looking “hyper feminine”.
“I don’t know who that person is, because the person I am today with short hair, and the person that I’ve been over the past year publicly, I mean, that’s who I feel like I am.”
