Demi Lovato might be hunkering down at home right now, but make no mistake: She’s happy. Not only does she appear to be self-quarantining with rumored boyfriend Max Ehrich, but in an interview with Harper’s Bazaar out yesterday (April 14), the “Anyone” singer revealed that she finally feels “free.” Part of that freedom came with moving on from her past — including her six-year-long relationship with actor Wilmer Valderrama.
The former pair first met in 2010 when the pop star was 18 years old. And although Valderrama was 11 years her senior, the couple was beloved by fans everywhere, though they eventually called it quits in 2016. Nowadays, Valderrama is engaged to model Amanda Pacheco, and Lovato said she’s “really happy for him.” “I wish him nothing but the best,” she told the mag. “But we’re not in each other’s lives, haven’t spoken in a long time.”
But those six years together weren’t for nothing. Lovato learned a lot about herself because of their decision to go their separate ways. “I think I needed that because I needed to learn to be OK on my own,” she said. “When you get into a relationship with somebody at that young of an age and then you spend six years with somebody, you don’t really get to learn about yourself.” The breakup also showed Lovato — who identifies as bisexual — that she’s not necessarily “looking for a man who I want to have two or three kids with.” “I’m open to anything,” she said.
Romantic relationships aside, Valderrama isn’t the only person from Lovato’s past that she hasn’t kept in contact with. After revealing that she’s no longer friends with the Jonas Brothers, she shared that she also lost touch with fellow Disney Channel alum Selena Gomez. “When you grow up with somebody, you’re always going to have love for them,” she said. “But I’m not friends with her, so it felt … I will always have love for her, and I wish everybody nothing but the best.”
But there are some friendships that Lovato continues to hold dear. “I talk to Miley [Cyrus],” she said. Recently, Lovato appeared on Cyrus’s Bright Minded Instagram talk show. “She’s awesome, and I love her to death and always will, always have,” she added. “But I think she’s kind of the only one from that era that I still stay in touch with.”
Perhaps her strongest female friendship right now, however, is the one she shares with Ariana Grande. Both pop stars are managed by music mogul Scooter Braun, which has undoubtedly brought them closer together. “I love the fact that Ariana and I have such a supportive friendship because it’s hard to find,” Lovato said. “Two women who are in a competitive industry — the whole world seems to want to pit women against each other, so it would be so easy to do that.”
Despite friendships gained and lost, Lovato is now taking life one step at a time. “When you power through your life all day, every day for 10 years, you’re ignoring all that pain or you’re just trying not to self-destruct,” she said. “It’s not really living.” And while it’s worth noting that Lovato sat down for this interview before whispers began surfacing online about her rumored relationship with Ehrich, she appears to be in a really wonderful place. “I’ve never felt more loved,” she said. “Which is really cool because I’m single as all hell right now.”
