Demi Lovato 'Devastated' After Friend Dies From Drug Overdose

Demi Lovato is mourning the loss of her friend, Thomas, after he passed away following a battle with addiction. In a heartbreaking message shared to her Instagram Story Wednesday, the "Sober" singer, who has been open about her own struggles with addiction, revealed that she was "devastated" following Thomas' Tuesday night death.

"Devastated. Please hold your loved ones tight. Tell them they are special and that you love them," Lovato wrote underneath a black-and-white photo of her friend. "Make sure they know it. RIP to my boo [Thomas]."

In a subsequent post, Lovato encouraged her followers to seek help if they or someone they know is struggling with addiction.

"Addiction is NO joke," she wrote. "Heaven gained this beautiful angel last night because of that terrible disease. I'm crushed and will always miss you [Thomas]. If you or someone you know is struggling please know it's okay to ask for help."

Thomas' death came just a little more than a year after Lovato suffered a near-fatal overdose in July of 2018, just after she had revealed in her single "Sober" that she had relapsed after six years of sobriety. The 27-year-old was hospitalized for two weeks before going to rehab to receive treatment, breaking her silence on the matter in a since-deleted August Instagram post.

"I have always been transparent about my journey with addiction," she wrote. "What I've learned is that this illness is not something that disappears or fades with time. It is something I must continue to overcome and have not done yet. I want to thank God for keeping me alive and well. To my fans, I am forever grateful for all of your love and support throughout this past week and beyond. Your positive thoughts and prayers have helped me navigate through this difficult time."

"I want to thank my family, my team, and the staff at Cedars-Sinai who have been by my side this entire time," Lovato's post continued. "Without them I wouldn't be here writing this letter to you all. I now need time to heal and focus on my sobriety and road to recovery. The love you have all shown me will never be forgotten and I look forward to the day where I can say I came out on the other side. I will keep fighting."

Since the July 2018 incident, Lovato has continued to focus on bother her physical and mental well-being, even returning to the studio to create new music.