Demi Lovato Hopes Docuseries Will ‘Set the Record Straight’ About Overdose

Demi Lovato opened up to Ellen DeGeneres about wanting to be a role model for fans who have watched her ‘make mistakes’ — watch

Ready to tell her story. Demi Lovato opened up about her forthcoming docuseries, Dancing With the Devil, which details her July 2018 overdose and the aftermath.

“I talk about a lot [in the docuseries]. And the world has been so loving and accepting of me telling my story. There’s been so much love and support,” the Grammy nominee, 28, said on The Ellen DeGeneres Show on Monday, February 22. “What’s great is we live in a time where nobody’s perfect, and we’re not going to get role models by watching people not make mistakes. We’re going to meet and learn from our role models who have overcome their deepest, darkest struggles.”

Lovato explained that she wanted to work on another documentary-style project so that she could “set the record straight” about her past like never before.

Demi Lovato Dancing With the Devil Docuseries Ellen DeGeneres Show — Demi Lovato and Ellen DeGeneres Warner Bros.

“A lot of stories were going around at that time that didn’t really know exactly what had happened,” she said. “I just wanted to tell the world, ‘Hey, this is what happened, this is how I got through it, and hopefully this can help you too’ because this journey has been such a wild ride, but I’ve learned so much, and I can’t wait to share it with the world.”

In the trailer for the four-part YouTube Originals series — which premiered on Wednesday, February 17, during the 2021 Television Critics Association winter press tour — the “Confident” singer revealed that she suffered three strokes and a heart attack following her 2018 overdose.

“My doctors said that I had five to 10 more minutes,” she told viewers.

After unveiling the nearly three-minute teaser, Lovato spoke to reporters about the lasting effects of her near-fatal health scare.

Demi Lovato Dancing With the Devil Docuseries — Demi Lovato Rob Latour/Shutterstock

“I was left with brain damage, and I still deal with the effects of that today. I don’t drive a car because I have blind spots in my vision. I also for a long time had a really hard time reading,” she said during the TCA panel. “It was a really big deal when I was able to read out of a book, like, two months later because my vision was so blurry. I’ve dealt with the repercussions, and they’re there to remind me what could happen if I get into a dark place again. I’m grateful for these reminders.”

Demi Lovato: Dancing With the Devil premieres on YouTube Tuesday, March 23.

If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).