05 February 2013
Newsdesk
Demi Lovato admits that a ‘man ban’ is her secret to happiness. Speaking exclusively to British Cosmopolitan’s spin-off student magazine, Cosmo on Campus, she reveals her focus is truly on herself:
“It is very unhealthy when girls devote all of their time to a guy and forget their friends and family. I did that. I was always looking for distractions because I was so afraid of being alone.”
“I have spent the last year focusing on myself and it’s been incredible. More has come out of the past year than in my entire career so far, and I truly believe it was because I was taking care of myself and not focusing on guys.”
Admitting she used to ‘self-sabotage’ relationships because she was so unhappy with herself, she confesses she’s now ready for love:
“Now I’m in a place where I can finally trust and love and be a better person for the man I am in a relationship with, instead of being a clingy girlfriend or getting jealous.”
However, Mr Right will have to accept her for who she is:
“I’m a southern Texas girl. I have a really strong personality – I speak my mind and I don’t hold back… I’m the type of woman who doesn’t put up with bullshit, so when I date I have to find someone who won’t either. I don’t think any woman should ever hold back what she’s really thinking.”
Speaking openly about her battle with bulimia, Demi wants to draw on her own experiences to be a role model for young women:
“I was about 12 or 13 when I developed my eating disorder, and at that time nobody in the public eye talked about their body issues… I feel that if someone had admitted they had a problem, then I wouldn’t have gone down that route myself. That’s my goal in talking about my problems. I want to be the person for other girls that I needed to admire when I was looking for help and strength.”
“It’s OK to love your body the way it is and it’s OK to reach out for help if you have drug and alcohol problems, or if you’re self-harming or being bullied.”
Reflecting on her role as a judge on X Factor USA, Demi admits that it was too soon after leaving rehab:
“I don’t think I was ready when I started on The X Factor [in autumn 2012]. In an ideal situation I would have maybe waited a year or more [after coming out of treatment].
“I dived into work really quickly and maybe that wasn’t the best idea at the time, but the place I am in today is so much better than I could have ever imagined, so I’m really glad.”
The full interview appears in the Spring 2013 issue of Cosmo on Campus, available from 6th February across universities in the UK. Cosmo on Campus is also available to purchase on Apple Newsstand (download the Cosmo UK app to access).
