Demi Lovato blames punching background dancer in 2010 on the negative impact of fame on her mental health

American singer Demi Lovato opened up about her past struggles with fame and how it negatively impacted her mental health, including the notorious incident in 2010 where she punched a background dancer, in Child Star, a documentary that she co-directed. The singer and actor reflected on some of the most explosive moments of her life, tying them to the pressures she faced as a young celebrity.

"I didn't realize that it would have such a negative impact on my mental health," Lovato admitted.

She then highlighted how her early fame took a toll.

"And unfortunately, sometimes that looks explosive, like an incident where you punch your backup dancer on an airplane or you overdose from heroin."

Demi Lovato was implying this in 2010 when she assaulted Alex Welch, a background dancer during The Jonas Brothers tour. It was, in fact, an altercation that occurred on a plane for which the pop star had to be taken to rehab for further evaluation of her mental issues.

In 2018, the singer of Cool for the Summer collapsed and was found unconscious. Later, she was discharged from the hospital only with six needles in her body, she experienced three strokes and a heart attack during her near-suicide from a heroin overdose.

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Demi Lovato reflects on past behavior and reconnecting with former co-stars in Child Star

As Lovato co-directed the new documentary Child Star alongside Nicola Marsh, she found herself reflecting on her past behavior and seeking closure for some of her earlier actions.

"Talking to people who knew me at a different time in my life was challenging because I wanted to apologize for my behavior," she explained. "I wasn’t the nicest person to work with at times because I was struggling so much internally, and I was under a lot of pressure."

Demi Lovato shared that working on Child Star allowed her to reconnect with some of her past colleagues, including Raven-Symoné and Alyson Stoner, both of whom she spoke with during the documentary.

"They were so lovely, so incredible, and so receptive, and I was so grateful for that," she added, describing the experience as "really cathartic."

In an interview with PEOPLE, Demi Lovato sought to explain what led her to create Child Star which was launched on September 17. The cast includes Drew Barrymore, JoJo Siwa, Kenan Thompson, Raven-Symoné, Christina Ricci, and Alyson Stoner who all reveal their life stories growing up a child star.

"This was just a story that I had been wanting to tell for quite some time," Demi Lovato said. "I've always thought about exploring the history of child stars, and also looking at different points of views and the perspective of what it's like to be a child star in today's day and age."

Reflecting on her journey, Demi Lovato added that they have personally "been very, very honest in the past" and "demonstrated that vulnerability throughout my life."

Demi Lovato's past struggles have been widely publicized, and she's been candid about her mental health challenges. Despite the hardships, she remains focused on growth and healing, particularly through her work in Child Star.

"I've shared a lot with people, and I've realized that my experiences don't define me," she said, showing how her perspective has evolved over time.

But the highly-publicized 2010 incident will forever be a part of her history and Lovato mentions these experiences to appreciate her progress.

In Child Star, she carried on the same process of trying to resolve her past and look to the future, with a nucleus of the emotional price of precocious stardom and the stamina that is demanded for one to get over this stage.