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Demi Lovato Slams Age-Gap Relationship With ‘That ’70s Show’ Ex

The “Camp Rock” actress began to question her teen relationship after she turned 30.

Demi Lovato, 33, is taking a fresh look at her past relationship with actor Wilmer Valderrama—and she’s not sugarcoating it. Appearing on a Tuesday podcast episode of Baby, This Is Keke Palmer, the singer reflected on their widely discussed age-gap romance, which began shortly after she turned 18, when Valderrama was 30. Looking back now that she’s older, Lovato said the dynamic doesn’t sit right with her. “Why was my boyfriend 30?” she recalled thinking in hindsight, calling that period of her life “really challenging.” Lovato said she first met Valderrama when she was 17 and immediately developed a crush, remembering thinking to herself, “I have to have him.” The NCIS actor initially declined to pursue anything because she was underage, but the pair began dating once she turned 18, lasting for another 6 years until their 2016 breakup. Palmer noted during the conversation that people often process age-gap relationships differently as they get older, telling Lovato it can feel like “a mental break” when you realize you may have been “taken advantage of.” Lovato also confirmed her 2022 track “29″ was inspired by the age-gap romance, which the lyrics sharply question—including the lines “numbers told you not to” and “But that didn’t stop you.”