Demi Lovato Reflects on Age Gap
Demi Lovato candidly reflected on her past relationship with Wilmer Valderrama, which began when she was 18 and he was 29, now calling it 'gross...unhealthy and toxic.' A podcast episode explored how 'a majority of girls' have experienced older men approaching them from a young age, describing this as a pervasive issue beyond celebrity circles. Lovato is now in a healthier relationship with musician Jordan Lutes.
Demi Lovato and Wilmer Valderrama's six-year relationship began in 2010 after they met when she was 17 and he was 29. Though they didn't start dating until her 18th birthday, Lovato's perspective on the significant age gap has shifted over time. In her 2017 documentary, "Simply Complicated," Lovato described it as "love at first sight" and called Valderrama her "rock." However, her views have since evolved, and she now reflects on the relationship with a different lens. The singer's 2022 song, "29," is widely interpreted as a commentary on their age difference. The lyrics include lines like, "Finally 29 / Funny, just like you were you at the time / Thought it was a teenage dream, just a fantasy / But was it yours or was it mine? / 17, 29." On a recent podcast, Lovato stated that upon turning 30 herself, she realized the relationship was "not OK." She has also referred to dating older men in her youth as "gross" and "unhealthy and toxic." Valderrama has a history of dating younger women, including Lindsay Lohan and Mandy Moore when they were teenagers. He is now engaged to Amanda Pacheco, who is 12 years his junior, and they have two children together. Despite their past, Valderrama visited Lovato in the hospital following her 2018 overdose, and at the time of their breakup in 2016, they stated they were "better as best friends."
