Demi Lovato and Miley Cyrus Opened Up About Social Distancing, Anxiety, and Body Shaming

P. Claire Dodson
·5 min read

Miley Cyrus is going full nostalgia during the coronavirus outbreak — and her latest move is an Instagram Live video show with special guest Demi Lovato.

Earlier this week, Miley raised awareness about social distancing with clips from Hannah Montana, and now she's embracing her Disney Channel past in a new format. Launching a new short-form series called Bright Minded: Live With Miley, Miley is chatting with a variety of guests that have so far included her therapist, celebrity doctor Dr. Daniel Amen. On March 17, however, she welcomed none other than Demi Lovato into an Instagram Live chat to talk about how they're dealing with self-quarantine during the pandemic, what they use for self-care, and what they have in common as celebrities who grew up in the spotlight very young.

Miley and Demi covered a lot of ground over 40 minutes, checking in with each other about mental health while also examining their own habits during this time of isolation. They're both into meditation apps (name-checking Headspace and Calm, among others), and they're both spending a bunch of time with their pets. "Even in this dark time, people are gonna try to find the silver lining of this negative experience, which may be spending a lot of time with their dogs," Demi told Miley. Meanwhile: "She's not washing right now," Miley joked about herself, saying she isn't showering much these days, which, relatable. She's also filling her time with Love Island... every single version. "I'm such an introvert," Demi added as they talked about why they're so good at social distancing.

Though times are weird and difficult, Miley and Demi also shared that they're glad they can reconnect with friends (like each other) that they don't get to see often. They reflected on their own longtime friendship, with Demi saying, "You've always been such a light, and that's why we connected at 14. I had a f*cking gap in my tooth. We connected then because we saw something in each other. I don't know if it was spirituality or if it was just in our hearts..." To which Miley chimed in, "Maybe we're just gay as f*ck," causing Demi to cackle.

The conversation eventually pivoted to the experiences Miley and Demi share, and how they both grew up with body image struggles that were magnified by the public spotlight. "My whole purpose in coming clean with everything that I've been through is so that it will help someone," Demi said. "I remember being 12 years old and my body started changing, and I didn't have anybody [to look at] in young Hollywood at that time that had a normal body, it was just stick figures because that was what was in style. I made a vow to myself that when I get older I wanna represent what I didn't have. I want to be that for somebody."

Miley then opened up about her own experiences, citing her infamous Video Music Awards performance as a turning point. Afterward, people were making memes of her body and comparing it to a turkey. "I didn't wear a bikini for two years [after that]," Miley said. "Memes can be so funny but also so hurtful. That was such a wake-up call to me for wanting to use my platform for a bigger purpose."

She went on to discuss the body shaming she went through, and how it conflicted with her branding as a celebrity. "I wouldn't wear shorts. I wouldn't wear skirts on stage ... I was probably 21 and just starting to understand myself as an independent person. What was so hard about it is that my brand has always been about being so unapologetically myself," Miley said. "I felt like having this persona, being the most confident girl on the planet, was actually kind of a fraud. I wasn't wearing bathing suits or shorts, and when I was wearing my little leotards and things, I had on f*cking four pairs of tights because I was so insecure."

They both said they're in different places now, though being stuck inside also has the potential to bring up negative feelings about their bodies once again. Before streaming Demi's new self-empowerment song "I Love Me," Miley also asked Demi to send a message to her fans, and the tens of thousands of people watching their livestream.

"I think it's so important for anybody that has dealt with body image [issues] that right now when we're home with our mirrors and things like that, it's so important to not get consumed in negative self talk," Demi responded. "This goes for everybody. We're confined into these spaces, with the same mirrors, the same negative thoughts. It's important not to beat ourselves up over getting nervous or not eating perfectly or working out perfectly. These are different, very scary times. We've never been through this. It's OK, be gentle with yourself as much as possible."

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Originally Appeared on Teen Vogue