Demi Lovato Won’t Read Comments Posted by Nasty Trolls
Though she’s notorious for shutting down her social media body shamers, Demi Lovato will be the first to admit that, like many people, she is her own worst enemy. After taking the stage to accept the 2017 Artistic Award of Courage at Wednesday’s Open Mind Gala in Los Angeles, the 24-year-old got candid with the crowd.
“I know we would all love to look in the mirror and love to see what we see. I struggle on a daily basis to see that. But when I look inside my mind, I know that I am happy with where I’m at. And that’s the most important thing.” she explained. “Every time we see on the TV the diet pills or the food plans, anything like that, we need to remember that it’s so much more important to take care of our mind and our mental health rather than our physical health, when it comes to appearance.”
Prior to the event, Lovato told Yahoo Style that though she’s come a long way in learning to appreciate her curves, maintaining a healthy body image is an ongoing journey.
“It’s something I still deal with today. As you change in life, your body changes and everything,” she notes.
But the performer has a few tricks that she turns to for tuning out her inner critic: “I maintain a healthy lifestyle, so that helps me,” she explains, adding that she also makes a point of resisting the urge to read the negative comments that social media trolls post on her accounts. “It’s just about not caring what other people think. It’s easier said than done, but you have to look yourself in the mirror and tell yourself that you are beautiful.”
Lovato credits her family, friends, and fans as her motivation to continue to advocate for mental health: In 2015, the star opened up about living with a bipolar disorder and recently shared that she’s been sober for five years. “There’s a drive that they fuel inside of me that I feel a responsibility. And it’s not a burden by any means, but I want to be able to be that voice for people that need that,” she explains.
Lisa Kudrow, who hosted the event, praised Lovato’s work.
“I’m very proud of her because it’s only helpful that people can see someone like her who has struggled and be able to talk about it, and that makes it more comfortable for other people to talk about it.”
The actress has a lot to say about Hollywood playing a vital role in fueling the body shaming of women. “It’s hard to get around when everyone we see on TV and in magazines is extremely thin and perfectly built,” she said.
Read more from Yahoo Beauty + Style:
How Emma Watson Made Belle From ‘Beauty and the Beast’ a Modern Style Icon
Laura Dern’s Sole Beauty Secret Involves Drugs — and She’s Never Said It Out Loud
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