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Demi Lovato got candid about dating older men as a young woman. “If you’re a young girl and you think that it’s sexy or fun to date older men, it’s not okay unless you’re of age,” she said during the Aug. 24 episode of Call Her Daddy with host Alex Cooper. The new interview comes just one week after Demi released her new single “29,” which is seemingly about her ex-boyfriend Wilmer Valderrama, who is now 42 (the pair started dating when she was just a teen).
The non-binary star added, “I think sometimes the public needs the truth, and that’s why I decided to release … [this] single.” Demi dated her ex-boyfriend, who is 12 years her senior, on and off from 2010 to 2016. Although Demi did not explicitly reveal who the song is about, she make reference to the track on Apple Music with Zane Lowe. “I’m very careful with the way that I answer these questions because I feel like the song says it all,” Demi, who also identifies as they/them, told Zane about her new single. “I don’t have to say too much, to be honest.”
While Demi played coy about naming the ex who inspired the song, fans were able to make inferences from the detailed lyrics: “Fibre on the vine / too young to drink wine / Just five years of bleeders, student and a teacher / Far from innocent / what the f***’s consent? / Numbers told you not to / but that didn’t stop you.” Demi was reportedly 17 years old when she met her ex, who was the star of That ’70s Show, while he was 29 — the age of the song’s title.
Demi also shared with Zane that turning 29 last year “put things into perspective,” inspiring her new song. “I would be lying if I said I didn’t have a ton of anxiety about putting out this song… I just said ‘I have to go for this, I have to own my truth,’” Demi added. “Sometimes saying less is more,” the Texas native teased.
The Camp Rock alum, who recently announced she is using she/her pronouns in addition to they/them, also just celebrated her milestone 30th birthday on August 20. A day before her birthday, Demi was spotted with new boyfriend Jute$ who took to Instagram with a sweet tribute.
“Happy birthday baby. ur a 30 year old minx and i’m the luckiest schmuck in the world cuz i get to call u mine. making u laugh has become my new obsession cuz ur smile literally cures my depression,” the fellow musician penned. “i’m so proud of u for not only surviving everything you’ve been through but coming out on top and becoming ur healthiest happiest sweetest self. and that’s all u baby… i’m just here to support u and tell stupid dad jokes when needed,” he also said, sharing several photos of her to his profile.