Demi Lovato and Alyson Stoner Roast Camp Rock Keyboard Scene in New Child Star Documentary
Photo by Chad Salvador/Variety via Getty Images
Content warning for discussions of eating disorders.
In her new Hulu documentary titled Child Star, Demi Lovato opens up about Disney Channel in some pretty heavy ways, detailing the pressures of young stardom and the destructive ways she handled that pressure. But there are also a few moments of levity, including when Lovato remembers filming Camp Rock with their costar Alyson Stoner.
“I had so much fun filming Camp Rock, the whole thing was so exciting,” Lovato begins in the Camp Rock section of the doc. “We were all kind of thrown into this Disney machine. We called it Disney High. We were dating each other and there was people who didn't like each other. We were all the same age and we weren't in high school, so that was our experience of it.”
Meanwhile, clips from old interviews are interspersed, with BTS photos and video of the cast in their school room and on set; in one, Lovato and her then best friend Selena Gomez are shown together. In another, Joe Jonas and Lovato do a photo shoot. “I don't think there's been one night where we're not hanging out, it shows how close we've really gotten with each other,” a young Alyson Stoner says. “Everyone in this movie is friends with each other and that's hard to find.”
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In the present day, for the documentary, Stoner and Lovato sit on a couch and hash out their first experiences together. They also watch clips from Camp Rock — including the “Start the Party” dance studio scene. (Stoner still knows the dance, of course.) “Do you remember the keyboard scene?” Lovato asks, barely holding back a grin. Stoner deadpans, “I don't know what you're talking about.”
They laugh as they remember the scene, in which Stoner's character Caitlyn shows off her skills with a pretty cringey computerized keyboard melody. “It's so good,” Lovato laughs. Stoner reveals they played that scene on a piano that wasn't plugged in, and Stoner didn't know what music the production team would overlay in the final cut. “[I was like] that's what you chose?" Stoner laughs. "I'm supposed to be a talented producer!”
Camp Rock Film Stars at Disney Store - London
It's a nice moment of bonding in a documentary that is sometimes a tough watch. Not only does Lovato apologize for the way they treated Stoner and others during Camp Rock 2, they reveal a serious moment between the two during the first film, when Stoner followed Lovato into the bathroom and noticed she had been making herself throw up.
“You picked up on it because your spidey senses were already in tune with those behaviors,” Lovato says. "And you talked to me and I was really grateful that someone didn't just shun me in that moment, or shame me. I felt like you were very understanding. That was definitely a moment where I remember being like, one I was like oh my god somebody knows, f*ck, and then two, I was really grateful you were there for me.”
Stoner responds, “I felt that support mutually feeling like, we know what we're dealing with at the surface level is just one part of what we're going through each day.” Stoner then discusses their own experiences with disordered eating and seeing themselves airbrushed in teen magazines. “I didn't know those things were wrong with me before," they say. "You see yourself and you're like I look amazing, I look perfect."
Stoner also reflects on a Camp Rock press junket in Europe. “It was a really really dark time with me with my eating disorder,” Stoner says. “I remember feeling terrified of my appearance and being in very very obsessive behaviors before the press started … and from the outside people were like that was amazing, look how great you look.” Lovato adds, “It was a way to take control of the situation.” Stoner then says, “Yes, and sometimes understanding that's the only sense of safety and control that you have. I was trained to be at [Hollywood's] beck and call and whatever you want from me I will provide."
If you or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder, the NEDA helpline is here to help at 1-800-931-2237. NEDA's helpline volunteers offer support and basic information, locate treatment options in your area, and can help you find answers to any questions you may have.
Child Star is produced by Demi Lovato and Michael D. Ratner, Scott Ratner, Miranda Sherman, and Kfir Goldberg for OBB Pictures. The documentary is now streaming on Hulu.
Originally Appeared on Teen Vogue
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