Demi Lovato Explains Decision to Drink Alcohol and Smoke Marijuana Following Overdose

Demi Lovato has continued to drink alcohol and smoke marijuana, following her 2018 overdose, and in her new YouTube docuseries she explains her decision. Demi Lovato: Dancing With the Devil debuted at SXSW on Tuesday, ahead of its YouTube premiere on March 23, and in it, Lovato confesses that she’s “really struggled” with deciding on whether or not to come forward with the truth about her sobriety. “I’ve learned that it doesn’t work for me to say that I’m never going to do this again,” she says, per ET.

“I know I’m done with the stuff that’s going to kill me, right?” she goes on to say. “Telling myself that 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. I had it drilled into my head for so many years that one drink was equivalent to a crack pipe.” The 28-year-old singer then shares that she has “been smoking weed and drinking in moderation.”

“I also don’t want people to hear that and think that they can go out and try having a drink or smoking a joint, you know? Because it isn’t for everybody,” Lovato also says, explaining that she does not believe her path is for everyone. “Recovery isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. 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.”

While Lovato appears confident in her decision, those around her are much less so. “It does kind of scare me now to know that she isn’t sober,” says Lovato’s assistant Jordan Jackson, who was the one to find her unresponsive after her overdose. Music icon Elton John also comments, speaking as someone who famously dealt with substance abuse issues. “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.”

Finally, Lovato’s manager Scooter Braun also commented on her choice to drink and smoke marijuana, stating that he is not really supportive of it. “Demi knows the whole moderation thing isn’t something I totally agree with,” he says. “What I’ve learned with the whole addiction thing is if I push her to do what I want, I push her away. I can’t control her. What I can do is be a friend and hope that she’s right.”