Raven-Symoné Reminds Demi Lovato of Their Past Collaboration

Demi Lovato, 32, contacted Raven-Symoné, 38, to invite her to participate in a documentary she was directing, starting her pitch with some genuine compliments.

“Figuring Out How To Swim”

“When we first got on the phone to talk about this project, I was like, ‘I watched you on That’s So Raven, such an inspiration,’ ” Lovato says while recalling the Child Star documentary, which premiered Sept. 17 on Hulu. “You were like, ‘Bitch, I was on your show!’ And I was like, ‘Oh, my God, she was,’” reported People.

Sonny with a Chance, the show that aired on Disney Channel for two seasons from 2009 to 2011. Symoné guest-starred in a 2010 episode of the sitcom led by Lovato.

In her directorial debut documentary, Lovato discusses the pressure she faced as a child in Hollywood, including being overworked and serving as her family’s breadwinner. The industry’s demands contributed to fatigue, depression, and various other mental and emotional challenges.

“I was a teenager, and I was just exhausted. I was being worked into the ground. We were all just kind of flapping around, figuring out how to swim,” Lovato stated.

Lovato Reflects on Disassociation and Work Challenges 

This contributed to her forgetting Symoné’s guest appearance on Sonny with a Chance, even though Symoné was already a major star with credits including That’s So Raven and The Cosby Show.

“It was part of my disassociation that I don’t even remember so much of my show that I was on, Lovato explains. “But I do remember how difficult I was to work with because I was in so much pain, and I was hurting.”

Symoné is understanding of the situation now, just as she was at the time.

“I mean, you weren’t the nicest person. You weren’t like, ‘Welcome!’ You weren’t doing that. But being the type of person I am and that I’ve been in the industry for as long as you, and I understand the glaze over the eyes, I didn’t hold it against you. I just was like, ‘Something’s going on there.’ ” she says.

Symoné is among several former child stars Lovato interviews in the documentary. She also speaks with Drew Barrymore, Kenan Thompson, JoJo Siwa, Christina Ricci, her Camp Rock co-star Alyson Stoner, and her sister Madison De La Garza (Desperate Housewives) as they discuss their careers and the risks of achieving fame at a young age.

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