DEMI LOVATO IS out of rehab and 90 days sober! Hooray! Good for her!
This is naturally something that people are very interested in, hopefully, because they want to see her recover well and succeed.
You know what doesn’t lend itself well to that though? Constant media coverage.
Since leaving rehab, Demi’s every move has been closely documented, whether she’s stepping out for coffee with a “male friend” (it can’t just be a friend, no?) or simply running errands.
Now, this is where someone will undoubtedly pipe up and say “but hey, didn’t ye post about her putting up an Instagram there last week?” Yep, you’re absolutely dead on.
However, it could definitely be argued that there’s a difference between highlighting a celebrity’s commitment to political activism than following them as they attempt to go about their day-to-day.
Without the added layer of celebrity, Demi is under huge pressure to commit to her treatment programme. In the grand scheme of things, hearing about her trip to the shops in a grey hoodie benefits no one. What she needs right now is space.
So often, the public’s view of addiction can be simplistic – a star enters rehab, they leave, and that’s that – problem solved. The reality is, Demi has a mountain of work ahead of her, and unfortunately always will, which won’t be helped be constant media scrutiny.
We mourn celebrities like Demi when they die from their demons, but the media rarely steps back to assess how they contributed to their downfall as a result of incessant surveillance.
Let her come out on her own terms and speak about her life, her career, her next move, whatever. But let it be her own dialogue – one that looks forward, not back.
