Demi Lovato, Keke Palmer reveal experiences with ‘exploitative’ relationships

Demi Lovato and Keke Palmer are dishing about the impact early fame and being in the industry had on them and how they justified some of their concerning age-gap relationships that are harmful in hindsight.

The child star duo, of which the Stone Cold singer gained fame on Disney with Camp Rock and the Rags actress led the Nickelodeon sitcom True Jackson, VP opened up about the pressures of earning really well when they were young.

In a conversation on the Baby, It’s Keke Palmer podcast, the host stated, “I became the breadwinner of my family just by proxy…they had to help with my career and we’re seeing money that we never had seen. That stress for me, especially not being able to process it, was a big triggering point.”

Demi then added that she knew what Keke was talking about, and that her mindset became that if she had to work like an adult, she also wanted to let loose like an adult, which ultimately proved harmful because it led to her substance abuse issues.

The pair also noted that this made them want to get into relationships with people that were much older than them, since they would relate more to their lifestyle.

“I found myself dating. I’m 15, why was my boyfriend 20?” Keke said to which Demi added, saying ““Why was my boyfriend 30? … Nobody our age could understand. But then you look back in hindsight — when I turned 30, I was like, ‘That’s not OK.'”

The television host then talked about realising when she was older that she was being exploited and taken advantage of at the time.

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