Demi Lovato, 27, just coined a term that everyone needs to immediately add to their vocabularies: “CELLULIT.” That’s what the “Sober” singer labeled her beautiful bikini photo, which didn’t make the rounds through Photoshop or Facetune, on Sept. 5! Bold, sassy and proud, Demi looked back at the camera while showing off her derriere in a leopard print bikini. “This is my biggest fear. A photo of me in a bikini unedited. And guess what, it’s CELLULIT!!!!” Demi captioned the post, which has attracted positive comments from stars like Bebe Rexha, Noah Cyrus, Ruby Rose, Jenna Dewan, and James Charles. The post even solicited a flirty remark from The Bachelorette’s Mike Johnson! The Disney alum then revealed why she decided to show the real her — cue “This Is Me” from Camp Rock.
“I’m just literally sooooo tired of being ashamed of my body, editing it (yes the other bikini pics were edited – and I hate that I did that but it’s the truth) so that others think I’m THEIR idea of what beautiful is, but it’s just not me. This is what I got,” Demi bravely announced in her caption. “I want this new chapter in my life to be about being authentic to who I am rather than trying to meet someone else’s standards.” Demi even hopes to be a future mother, stating that her body will continue to “amaze” her when she “hopefully give[s] birth one day.”
Demi wasn’t always riding on a wave of body positivity. “It’s such a great feeling to be back in tv/film while not stressing myself with a strenuous workout schedule before 14 hour days, or depriving myself from a real birthday cake rather than opting for watermelon & whip cream with candles because I was terrified of REAL cake and was miserable on some crazy diet sh**,” Demi admitted in the bikini post. You can read on below to find out how she’s “unashamed, unafraid and proud” to own her body now.
Demi has previously battled eating disorders as a child — she admitted to “overeating” beginning at the age of eight, but body-shaming bullies led her to start “undereating” at the age of 12, all of which the actress revealed in a 2012 interview with Daily Mail. After turning 18 years old, Demi checked into rehab in 2010 (she was also battling drug and alcohol addictions). The singer found herself on the road to betterment, and even shared before-and-after photos of her “recovery” from eating disorders in Oct. 2017.
After celebrating years of sobriety and healthier eating habits, Demi confessed she relapsed to fans in her song “Sober,” released in June 2018. The following month, Demi was found unconscious in her Hollywood Hills home after a reported overdose. Following a scary hospitalization and reported return to rehab, Demi has bounced back, as you can see in the photo above! By June of 2019, Demi revealed she’s even working on a new album to follow up 2017’s Tell Me You Love Me.