Wilmer Valderrama and Demi Lovato’s Relationship Timeline, Explained

Wilmer Valderrama and Demi Lovato were one of Hollywood’s cutest couples. The two dated on and off for years, with Valderrama being a sense of support as Lovato dealt with substance abuse issues more related to her childhood trauma.

They stayed in touch long after their breakup, but things seemed to have grown a bit contentious in recent years. Before the shade-throwing, here’s a trip down memory lane of the former love birds. 

It was love at first sight

The former couple first met when she was 18. She once said that their meeting was love at first sight, at least for her.

“When I first met Wilmer he was 29. I met him on January 11 of 2010, and it was at a PSA shoot at his house for the 2010 census forms. To be honest, I only did it because I heard it was at his house and I thought he was really cute,” Lovato said in her 2017 documentary, Simply Complicated. “I didn’t really care about the census forms. But [when] I met him and I laid eyes on him for the first time, I was in hair and makeup and he came in and sat down and I was like ‘I love this man’ and ‘I have to have him.’ But I was only 17, so he was like, ‘Get away from me.’ After I turned 18, we began dating. I think it was love at first sight, and I don’t really believe in that, but I believe that it happened.”

Support through tough times

Lovato’s personal struggles with drugs, alcohol, self-harm, and an eating disorder are well documented. When she entered rehab in November 2010, she and Valderrama took a break, but he didn’t stop offering his support. They were on and off for years.

A final split

The former pair released a statement in June 2016 announcing their breakup. “After almost 6 loving and wonderful years together, we have decided to end our relationship. This was an incredibly difficult decision for both of us, but we have realized more than anything that we are better as friends,” the statement read, per Us Weekly. “We will always be supportive of one another. Thank you to everyone who has offered us kindness and support over the years.” Within months, Valderrama shared a throwback picture of them on Instagram, noting they were still best friends. 

A scary brush with death

Lovato suffered a near-fatal overdose in 2018. Valderrama was reportedly devastated. He was spotted visiting her at the hospital in Los Angeles, where a source says he spent three hours with her.

Demi shares regrets through her music

They reportedly lost touch in 2020. In 2022, the Disney alum released her single, “29,” where she sings about a relationship with a 12-year age gap with an ex. Despite not mentioning Valderrama by name, she and the That ’70s Show actor began dating when she was 18.

On the track, Lovato sings, “Just five years a bleeder/Student and a teacher/Far from innocent/What the fuck’s consent?/Numbers told you not to/But that didn’t stop you.”

In the course, she reflects on turning 29, the same age Valderrama was when he dated the Lovato. “Thought it was a teenage dream just a fantasy/But was it yours or was it mine?” she sings.

A reunion

The exes would work together on a special project. They voiced the characters of Lenore and Prince Philippe Charming in Netflix’s animated film Charming in 2021.