The Shady Side Of Demi Lovato

In November 2010, Demi Lovato was accused of punching backup dancer Alex Welch in the face during a flight, forcing Lovato to leave her joint tour with the Jonas Brothers to go to rehab. What spawned the sucker punch? The Daily Mail reports that Lovato thinks Welch snitched and told tour crews that Lovato was off partying with a small group after a show.

Selena Gomez and Lovato first became pals when they both starred in Barney and Friends as children. Their friendship continued into their Disney days, with Gomez reportedly getting Lovato her Camp Rock audition. In 2010, their friendship showed its first signs of strain when a fan was on camera asking Lovato, "How's Selena?" and Lovato replied, "Ask Taylor [Swift]." The pair eventually made up and Lovato revealed that Gomez was one of the only people to contact her while she was in rehab in November 2010.

While Gomez has remained publicly diplomatic about their roller coaster friendship, when Complex asked Lovato in September 2015 if she and her Princess Protection Program buddy still talk, she simply replied, "Nope."

During a Complex interview in summer 2015, Lovato threw what many interpreted as Taylor Swift #squad shade. "I don't really hang out with celebrities," she said. "I'm not the type of person that's on Instagram posting pictures of me and tons of my best friends...I don't have anybody around me who kisses my ass."

She also spoke to Cosmopolitan, which many interpreted as Miley Cyrus shade. "There are a lot of girls in pop. They have badass lyrics, but I feel like I'm the only person other than Rihanna and Nicki Minaj who isn't afraid to say, 'Try something on me and I'll f***ing beat your a**.'" Yeah, Alex Welch knows.

In October 2015, Lovato was finalizing a deal with American Idol alum Adam Lambert for a co-headlining tour...and then she pulled the rug from under him. TMZ reports that Lovato backed out at the last minute, replacing Lambert with her labelmate and BFF, Nick Jonas. Sources close to Lambert claimed the move was totally unexpected and "very unprofessional and unethical."

It looks like that move is going to cost fans, too: Jonas and Lovato's tour packages are pricier than ever. People reports that their "Ultimate VIP Dressing Room" package has a ton of perks for $10,000...but doesn't even include an actual ticket to the concert. The VIP package's meet and greet may not even be a good experience. In November, a disappointed fan from a meet and greet wrote an angry letter to Lovato on Instagram saying that she was rushed, rude, and eager to get away from the very supporters who give her success and tons of extra money.

Lovato's Twitter beefs are endless. She continued an ongoing beef with comedienne Kathy Griffin in September 2015. She publicly and visibly unfollowed on-again, off-again BFF Selena Gomez in August 2014. Lovato lashed out at singer Pink in September 2015 after taking offense at her comments about the MTV Video Music Awards. Back in 2009, she and Miley Cyrus' older brother, Trace Cyrus, actually broke up on Twitter.

Lovato told Complex in summer 2015, "I think 'Waiting for Ya' is a pretty ballsy song...that's the song where I show you that a lot of people have their cute little feuds in public, but I don't really have those because if you want to have a feud, you can just come to me in person and we'll settle it." Right.

When Lovato was on The X Factor in 2012, she and Simon Cowell made it quite clear that there was something up with One Direction singer Niall Horan. The two insinuated that Lovato and Noran frequently Skyped together. Lovato revealed on Girl Code Live in October 2015 that she ghosted on a Skype relationship, telling the hosts, "I've actually had a situation where I think somebody had an alarm set on their phone. They would Skype me every time...I told them basically, 'Hey, I am not interested. Please leave me alone.' And then, yeah, they kind of took the hint, I guess. And then I changed my number and completely ignored them...I wasn't even dating him. That's the thing...Like, if you knew who it was...he is not a stalker."

Sure, she didn't mention any names, but if you follow Horan or Lovato at all, it's pretty clear to whom she was referring.

Lovato began dating former That '70s Show star Wilmer Valderrama in 2010. Their relationship started out tumultuously, with a lot of breakups and makeups. They seem rock solid now, and Lovato credits Valderrama with a lot of her recovery.

Still, their history is a little creepy. They began dating when she was just barely 18 to his 30, and that's been a pattern for him. Valderrama dated Mandy Moore for two years when she was just 16 to his 20 and Lindsay Lohan when she had just turned 18 to his 24. He later boasted, quite vulgarly, about his intimate relationships with both of these much younger women. It makes you wonder why Lovato thinks she doesn't deserve better—and if, at 23, she may be getting almost too old for his tastes.

Lovato prides herself on celebrating a healthy body image, especially after her public struggles with bulimia. That makes her friendships with the Kardashians questionable, as these women document their diets, their "waist training" corsets, and their obsession with cosmetic fillers constantly. It seems to completely counter Lovato's message to fans to love themselves as they are when she pals around with people who not only transform themselves with plastic surgery, but also deny it.

Lovato seems to struggle with her musical identity, because with every album, she seems to have a new sound. That would be fine, but she also insists that every new sound is who she really is. For her sophomore effort Here We Go Again, Lovato told MTV News, "It's going to take a different sound, so hopefully it goes over well. I sing a lot of rock, but this time I want to do more John Mayer-ish type of songs."

For Unbroken in 2011, Lovato told The Ralphie Radio Show, "Every other album I haven't had time to really take my time and craft it like I really wanted to...you can definitely tell that I took my time with this record." When promoting Demi in 2012, she told Billboard, "For me, Unbroken wasn't my favorite album, and this one is my favorite one so far."

Lovato revealed in her 2017 documentary, Demi Lovato: Simply Complicated, that while promoting her "Stay Strong" campaign about sobriety in 2012, she was still using cocaine.

"I wasn't working my program, I wasn't ready to get sober. I was sneaking [cocaine] on planes, I was sneaking it in bathrooms, sneaking it throughout the night... I went on a bender of like, two months where I was using daily. There was one night when I used a bunch of coke and I popped a few Xanax bars, and I began to choke a little bit. My heart started racing, and I thought to myself, 'Oh my God, I might be overdosing right now.'... I was using while I had a sober companion, and I went through about 20 different sober companions."

Lovato wound up hospitalized for taking a slew of pills, and while in the hospital, she reportedly took more pills and cursed at a nurse for not allowing her to kill herself. She was placed in a psych ward but still couldn't get clean, admitting to sneaking cocaine, faking her drug tests, and lying to her handlers.

The last night she ever touched alcohol, she supposedly got drunk with two strangers and vomited on her way to the airport for an American Idol taping, where she performed hungover. It wasn't until her team announced it was leaving and forced her to destroy her phone (with drug dealers' contacts in it) that she got clean.

First things first: Demi Lovato is awesome. She's one of the best vocalists of her generation, she's gorgeous, and she's an advocate for mental health awareness. That said, she's not without her flaws. Here are some ways the "Confident" songstress can be really shady.

Disney star Lovato made big headlines in November 2010 when she was accused of clocking a backup dancer in the face.

According to People, an 18-year-old Lovato was on tour with the Jonas Brothers when she came under fire from the band's tour managers for allegedly misbehaving. Lovato reportedly demanded to know who snitched on her, and then she punched that alleged dancer, Alex Welch, in the face. Welch initially complained that Lovato never apologized to her after the incident, but the singer's reps explained that Lovato had been sequestered in rehab and was unable to communicate with Welch.

In late December 2010, People reported that Welch and Lovato reached a settlement for an undisclosed sum, part of which was donated to charity.

Selena Gomez and Lovato became pals when they both starred in Barney and Friends (1992-2009) at age 7. Their friendship continued into their Disney days, with Gomez reportedly getting Lovato her Camp Rock (2008) audition. A year later, Gomez and Lovato did a joint spread in People, admitting that they "do everything together." They even co-starred in The Princess Protection Program (2009).

However, their friendship showed its first signs of strain in 2010 when a fan asked Lovato on camera, "How's Selena?" Lovato replied, "Ask Taylor [Swift]." (Gomez had been spending a lot of time with Swift.) Lovato also hinted to Girls Life (via Just Jared Jr.) that she had issues with her childhood bestie. "We're both busy, and I wish the best for her," she told the mag. "True friends don't let their friends or family be mean to you. If you can't trust somebody, you can't be friends with them."

The pair eventually made up. Lovato revealed that Gomez was one of the only people to contact her while she was in rehab in November 2010, but those warm fuzzies fizzled again by 2014, when Lovato unfollowed Gomez on social media and told Watch What Happens Live that she doesn't keep up with Gomez anymore.

In keeping with this roller coaster of a relationship, Lovato followed Gomez again in 2015, and Gomez gushed that Lovato was "like family." However, when Complex asked Lovato in September 2015 if she and Gomez still talk, Lovato simply replied, "Nope." By 2017, both ladies had new songs to promote, and what do you know? They were lovey-dovey on Twitter again. Hmm.

The aforementioned "Ask Taylor" was just the beginning. During a Complex interview in summer 2015, Lovato threw what many interpreted as Swift #squad shade. "I don't really hang out with celebrities," Lovato said. "I'm not the type of person that's on Instagram posting pictures of me and tons of my best friends... I don't have anybody around me who kisses my a**."

When asked about Swift in May 2016, Lovato told Refinery 29, "There are women that I don't get along with, and that's fine." She also subtly shaded Swift's "feminism," noting, "Don't brand yourself a feminist if you don't do the work. I have an immense amount of respect for women like Lena Dunham...or Beyoncé, who make amazing political statements through their work."

By November 2016, Lovato really went in on Swift, her squad, and her award-winning "Bad Blood" music video, telling Glamour: "I think in certain situations, certain people could be doing more if they're going to claim [feminism] as part of their brand... I don't see anybody in any sort of squad that has a normal body. It's kind of this false image of what people should look like. And what they should be like, and it's not real." She added, "I think that having a song and a video about tearing Katy Perry down, that's not women's empowerment... I feel it's selfish when you don't use your voice, because then you're just relishing the attention—you're not using it for good."

When Lovato got some flak for that interview, she doubled down, tweeting, "Still not apologizing for saying what everyone else wants to say."

When Kesha's legal battle with Dr. Luke came to light, Lovato was a huge proponent of the "#FreeKesha" campaign. Though Lovato denies it, many believe she also used that platform to passive-aggressively call out Swift again.

"I'm also ready for self-proclaimed feminists to start speaking out or taking action for women's rights," Lovato tweeted in February 2016. When it was announced that Swift had donated $250,000 to Kesha to cover her court costs. Lovato tweeted: "Take something to Capitol Hill or actually speak out about something and then I'll be impressed."

When a fan on Instagram suggested Lovato was making the issue about herself instead of about Kesha, Lovato flipped out: "How the f**k am I making this about myself?" she wrote (via Us Weekly). "At least I'm talking about it. Not everyone has 250k to just give to people. Would love to but I didn't grow up with money and def haven't made as much as her. At least I speak up about s**t that's uncomfortable to talk about rather than trying to be politically correct 24/7... There's no 'rivalry.'"

Lovato added, "I just give more f**ks than other people and would rather start a dialogue ABOUT WOMEN COMING FORWARD ABOUT BEING RAPED than throw money at one person. Didn't shade Taylor. If you take it that way than fine. I'm just tired of seeing women use 'women empowerment' and 'feminism' to further brands without actually being the ones that have the uncomfortable conversations."

Lovato later backpedaled on her alleged Swift shade slightly, writing, "As most people know, I tend to get fired up about the things I believe in, and although my heart and intentions are always in the right place, unfortunately sometimes my passion gets the best of me and causes me to say things that I probably shouldn't say. And when doing so it takes away from the real reason I am speaking up in the first place... Everyone has their own way of giving support to others, and at the end of the day, helping victims is all that matters. Ultimately, the message I want people to hear is it's okay to come forward with your abuse and if you do decide to take action, you are not alone." Note: Lovato never actually apologized to Swift for allegedly bashing her donation.

Later, Kesha herself spoke graciously about Swift, telling Rolling Stone in October 2017: "[Swift is] very, very sweet, very, very genuine, extremely generous, picks up the phone every time I call her. My mom doesn't even always pick up the phone!" Those glowing words certainly make it sound like Lovato stirred up unwelcome drama for the "Tik Tok" singer.

In Nov. 2015, the VIP packages for Lovato and Nick Jonas' Future Now tour were revealed. People reported that the pair's "Ultimate VIP Dressing Room" deal included a ton of perks for a mere $10,000: a visit and photos with the pop stars, autographed merchandise, access to a stage-side lounge and a private dressing room, and dinner. However, the pricey package somehow didn't include an actual ticket to the concert.

Remember Lovato's aforementioned lecture about not having thousands of dollars lying around and not growing up with money? Did she forget that also describes most of her fans?

Lovato's drama isn't limited to Swift. She has stirred the pot on social media with plenty of celebs. Here are just a few lowlights:

In June 2017, she mocked comedienne Kathy Griffin's tearful reaction following a violent joke about President Donald Trump (to be fair, this beef started in March 2014 when Griffin called Lovato a "douche"). Also in June 2017, Lovato shaded singer Halsey on Twitter after Halsey reportedly dissed her in an interview.

In July 2016, Lovato made the mistake of engaging with famed celeb blogger Perez Hilton on Twitter, and that same month, she briefly quit Twitter and Instagram after calling Mariah Carey "nasty" and "unnecessarily rude" (to which Carey delivered her signature response).

In May 2016, Lovato drew attention to a photo from the Met Gala on Nicki Minaj's Instagram. Minaj notably did not tag Lovato in the awkward pic, so Lovato then posted the same photo to her own Instagram while simultaneously insisting she didn't care about Minaj's post.

Rewind the clock to 2009: Lovato and Miley Cyrus' older brother, Trace Cyrus, dated for about seven seconds and actually broke up on Twitter. Seriously.

Lovato prides herself on celebrating a healthy body image, especially after her struggles with bulimia. It's one of the reasons that she supposedly dislikes Swift's squad, but it also makes her own group of pals seem a little suspect.

Lovato is tight with the Kardashians, who frequently document their diets, their "waist training" corsets, and their obsession with cosmetic fillers. Need we mention Kim Kardashian's 445-page book of selfies? Lovato is also tight with Iggy Azalea, who's been honest about getting work done on her face and chest (but denies getting her famous behind boosted).

What's more, Lovato shilled "detox tea" on Instagram in April 2017. While the singer is all about health and fitness (she even has a blue belt in jiu-jitsu!), these controversial products can be dangerous.

In April 2016, the band Sleigh Bells sued the singer for copyright infringement, accusing Lovato of ripping off its songs "Infinity Guitars" and "Riot Rhythm" for her track "Stars." A copy of the complaint, obtained by The Hollywood Reporter, reads: "A comparison of the two songs reveals that, at the very least, the combination of the hand claps and bass drum, structured as 3 quarter beats and a rest, with the bass drum providing a counter-rhythm to the hand claps, is at least substantially similar in both works. This infringing material repeats throughout the Defendants' song."

That similarity may not have been Lovato's fault. Billboard reported that her producers denied her involvement with the track's production (though she had a hand in writing the song's lyrics). The band's claim was eventually settled for an undisclosed amount.

After Zendaya was honored with her very own Barbie likeness in September 2015, Lovato didn't congratulate the fellow Disney alum. Instead, she tweeted, "Hey @Barbie, what about a curvy doll or one with true to size measurements? I'll model!"

It wasn't the first time these two stars butted heads. In 2011, Lovato criticized Disney for including an eating disorder joke in an episode of Zendaya's show, Shake it Up (2010-13). Prior to that, Lovato tweeted, "And is it just me or are the actress' getting THINNER AND THINNER.... I miss the days of RAVEN, and LIZZIE MCGUIRE...Dear Disney Channel, EATING DISORDERS ARE NOT SOMETHING TO JOKE ABOUT."

Zendaya's dad didn't take kindly to Lovato's remarks, replying, "@ddlovato don't hate the player, hate the game...my daughter looks up to you and admires you greatly...how about apologizing for all the hate you just sent my daughter's way you shouldn't have commented on her being too skinny...@ddlovato practice what you preach...you've never even met her and you commented on her: she is healthy, is not too skinny it's wrong to make comments on twitter... [talking] about what Disney said is one thing but when u commented on her body type you did exactly what they did...she's been a huge fan of yours through everything I just recently sent her niece to your concert...it's not right what u tweeted about the girls...it's hypocritical." He added that Zendaya received "a lot of hate" thanks to Lovato's comments.

Lovato later apologized to Zendaya, or at least she tried to.

Lovato and Nick Jonas were platonic BFFs for years, but her song "Ruin the Friendship" suggests she may have had deeper feelings for the youngest JoBro. Lyrics include: "Put down your cigar and pick me up / Play me your guitar, that song I love... Your body's looking good tonight / I'm thinkin' we should cross the line / Let's ruin the friendship... What's taken us all this time?"

Lovatics were quick to note (via People) that Jonas loves cigars and is a guitar wizard, so it wasn't hard to make an educated guess who that song was about. (Lovato confirmed only that it was about someone in her life.)

That tune also adds some potential perspective to Lovato and Jonas' joint 2016 interview with Billboard. They both discussed his breakup from model Olivia Culpo. Jonas said Lovato told him to "'Just go, ­create and be free.' She also said some other things..."

Lovato added, "I go, 'Honestly, I didn't like her anyway.' It's not because she's mean or anything, but he has such a great sense of humor and I want him to be with someone that makes him laugh."

We're willing to bet Culpo really appreciated that intel being shared with the world.

Lovato revealed in her 2017 documentary, Demi Lovato: Simply Complicated, that while promoting her "Stay Strong" campaign about sobriety in 2012, she was still using cocaine.

In the documentary, she says: "I wasn't working my program, I wasn't ready to get sober. I was sneaking [cocaine] on planes, I was sneaking it in bathrooms, sneaking it throughout the night... I went on a bender of like, two months where I was using daily. There was one night when I used a bunch of coke and I popped a few Xanax bars, and I began to choke a little bit. My heart started racing, and I thought to myself, 'Oh my God, I might be overdosing right now.'... I was using while I had a sober companion, and I went through about 20 different sober companions."

Lovato wound up hospitalized for taking a slew of pills, and while in the hospital, she reportedly took more pills and cursed at a nurse for not allowing her to kill herself. She was placed in a psych ward but still couldn't get clean, admitting to sneaking cocaine, faking her drug tests, and lying to her handlers.

The last night she ever touched alcohol, she supposedly got drunk with two strangers and vomited on her way to the airport for an American Idol taping, where she performed hungover. It wasn't until her team announced it was leaving and forced her to destroy her phone (with drug dealers' contacts in it) that she got clean.