Every detail of her harrowing experience as she's told it is presented as a powerful and painful "true story," as she credits the video's visuals.
UPDATED 04/1/2021 10:31 pm PT
The full music video, which dropped late Thursday night, opens with a disclaimer as it does not hold back in detailing and showing just how close Demi Lovato came to death after her overdose. From alcohol abuse to drug abuse and waking up in the hospital, the video captures beat by beat the story as Lovato has told it.
Every detail, from the clothing she's found in to how she claims she was abandoned and then later discovered lying in bed after overdosing was captured in unapologetic and unflinching video.
A dramatic and unflinching recreation of what Lovato survived, it closes with a close-up of the "Survivor" tattoo on her neck and a message of hope. The closing credits indicate that it's a "true story" by Demi Lovato. Her story as she lived it, and continues to live beyond it today.
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, get help. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline (1-800-662-4357) provides 24/7, free, confidential support for people in distress.
ORIGINAL STORY 4/1/2021 8:22 am pt
Demi Lovato has recreated her near-fatal overdose for her latest music video.
In a sneak peek of "Dancing with the Devil" released on Thursday by "Good Morning America," the pop princess displays the aftermath of her 2018 relapse following six years of sobriety.
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View Story"Praying for better days to come and wash this pain away, could you please forgive me? Lord, I'm sorry for dancing with the devil," Lovato sings while lying in a hospital bed.
In behind-the-scenes photos obtained by EW, Lovato appeared to keep the details of the overdose accurate for the video, as she sports the same hairstyle and clothing that were revealed in photos from the incident during her recent docuseries "Demi Lovato: Dancing With the Devil."
Meanwhile, the "Sober" singer didn't hold back while discussing the repercussions from the overdose for the four-part YouTube program.
"I had three strokes. I had a heart attack. I suffered brain damage from the strokes. I can't drive anymore. And I have blind spots in my vision so sometimes when I go to pour a glass of water, I'll totally miss the cup because I can't see it," she explained. "I also had pneumonia because I asphyxiated and had multiple organ failure...I'm really lucky to be alive. My doctors said that, like, I had five to 10 more minutes. And had my assistant not come in, I wouldn't be here today."
EXCLUSIVE: First look at the music video for @ddlovato's "Dancing with the Devil."#DemiOnGMA#DemiDWTDhttps://t.co/YmG10K5lAH pic.twitter.com/YnnxtdcZI0
— Good Morning America (@GMA) April 1, 2021 @GMA
She also detailed how she came to start using again just a month after celebrating six years of sobriety at one of her concerts.
"That night I did drugs that I'd never done before," she said, recalling how she ran into her former drug dealer at a party. "I tried meth. I mixed it with molly, with coke, weed, alcohol, oxycodone. And that alone should have killed me. It was only two weeks before I was introduced to heroin and crack cocaine."
The continued substance abuse would eventually culminate in her friends finding her unresponsive at her home and Lovato being rushed to a Los Angeles hospital in July of 2018.
The video was co-directed by Lovato and Michael D. Ratner and produced through Ratner's OBB Media.
The entire video for "Dancing With the Devil" -- Lovato’s title song to her new studio album "Dancing with the Devil... The Art of Starting Over" -- will debut tonight at 11:45pm ET on her YouTube channel.