Demi Lovato Reveals They're No Longer "California Sober"

Demi Lovato has been open about their journey through addiction and to sobriety over the last several years, releasing music that explicitly deals with the topic and inviting fans into their world in their documentary TV series, Demi Lovato: Dancing With The Devil. In 2018, the singer had a near-fatal overdose from heroin laced with fentanyl, and in a CBS interview in March 2021, Lovato declared themself “California sober,” a term with dubious meaning that refers to the practice of consuming marijuana, and in some cases moderate amounts of alcohol, but no other substances.

"I think the term that I best identify with is California sober," they said at the time. "I really don't feel comfortable explaining the parameters of my recovery to people, because I don't want anyone to look at my parameters of safety and think that's what works for them, because it might not."

"I've learned that it doesn't work for me to say that I'm never going to do this again," Lovato added. "... I know I'm done with the stuff that's going to kill me, right? Telling myself that I can never have a drink or smoke marijuana, I feel like that's setting myself up for failure because I am such a black-and-white thinker. I had it drilled into my head for so many years that one drink was equivalent to a crack pipe."

Lovato even released a song called “California Sober” back in April, with lyrics like “Cashin' in my chips for forgiveness/Trading in my shame for perspective/Tired of being known for my sickness/It didn't work, I'm tryin' something different.” While others called out Lovato for promoting the controversial practice, which is growing in popularity as a lifestyle choice, but isn’t typically recommended by professionals or backed up by research for those who are in true recovery from addiction, it seemed to be working for Lovato.

Now, the 29-year-old singer and extraterrestrial enthusiast has declared they’re ditching “California sober” for the real thing. "I no longer support my 'California sober' ways," Lovato wrote on Instagram stories on Thursday, December 2nd. "Sober sober is the only way to be."

While we don’t know what prompted the change, we hope Lovato’s sobriety journey continues to make them happy and healthy.