Demi Lovato Says It Was 'Gross' That She Dated Older Men As A Teen

By Emily Richardson | Celebrity | September 12, 2023 |

By Emily Richardson | Celebrity | September 12, 2023 |

If the last week has taught us anything, it’s that, with the exception of Topher Grace, the men of That ’70s Show are gross as hell. After Danny Masterson was sentenced to 30 years to life for raping 2 women, Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis were outed for writing letters in support of their former co-star.

Soon, denizens of the Internet dug up creepy clips from the early 2000s. There’s the interview where Ashton reveals Danny dared him to “use tongue” while filming a kissing scene with a then-14-year-old Mila (Ashton was 19 and it was Mila’s first-ever kiss). The intro from Punk’d where Ashton describes 16-year-old Hilary Duff as “one of the girls we’re all waiting to turn 18”, “along with the Olsen twins.” The clip where Danny recalls just how young Mila was when she was cast as Jackie Burkhart: “14, she was even hotter [then], if I’m allowed to say that.” Um, you’re not. But apparently everyone let it slide 20 years ago.

Yesterday, Chrissie Carnell Bixler, Danny’s ex-girlfriend and rape victim, shared these clips to her Instagram. Days before that, she called out Ashton on her Instagram Story, alluding to his dark “secrets” and a “plan” that he and Danny allegedly hatched back in 2001. She wrote that Ashton was “just as sick” as his “mentor” (Danny). Chrissie also addressed Mila: “I pray you begin to process what you experienced as a child on that set.”

But let’s not forget about Wilmer Valderrama. As mentioned in last night’s Pajiba Love, there’s a 2006 Howard Stern interview where Wilmer brags about taking Mandy Moore’s virginity (Mandy later denied this), rates Jennifer Love Hewitt’s sexual performance, and does an impression of Ashlee Simpson in bed. He also discusses ex-girlfriend Lindsay Lohan’s breast size and shaving routine. Wilmer and Lindsay were first spotted together in May 2004; he was 24; she was 17. They didn’t go public with their relationship until the exact month Lilo turned 18. Ew.

Unfortunately, Lindsay wasn’t Wilmer’s last famous teen girlfriend. Nope, that would be Demi Lovato. Demi and Wilmer dated on and off from 2010 to 2016. When they met, she was 17 and he was 29. She has said they didn’t technically start dating until her eighteenth birthday. OK, sure.

Yesterday, Demi went on Howard Stern’s SiriusXM show (huh), and talked about how she dated older men when she was younger. She said:

I went through a phase when I was attracted to older guys because of my daddy issues, obviously.

For me, I was a teenager. And so to me, that’s gross. If you are 50 and 60, you’re fine. Even 30 and 40, that’s not gross at all. But I think that when you’re in those development years, you should absolutely not be with somebody that is older than you by that much. It’s just unhealthy and toxic.

Demi added that she believes she’s tackled her daddy issues, and, now, she looks back on her past and thinks, “That’s gross.” Here’s the clip:

While the singer didn’t explicitly mention Wilmer’s name, it’s not hard to figure out who she was referring to. Last year, Demi released the song “29” as the third single on her album, Holy Fvck. The lyrics clearly alluded to her and Wilmer’s relationship:

Petal on the vine, too young to drink wine
Just five years a bleeder, student and a teacher
Far from innocent, what the fuck’s consent?
Numbers told you not to, but that didn’t stop you

Finally twenty-nine
Funny, just like you were at the time
Thought it was a teenage dream, just a fantasy
But was it yours or was it mine?
Seventeen, twenty-nine

At the time, Demi told Apple Music:

“When I turned 29, I remember I was on vacation and I just realized, ‘I’m 29 now,’ and it put things into perspective. I’m very careful with the way that I answer these questions because I feel like the song says it all.”

It sure does.