Like the pop star, Drake Bell was also a former child star.
Drake Bell has Demi Lovato in his thoughts.
The 32-year-old former child star understands the pressures of the entertainment industry and spoke with ET’s Nischelle Turner at the Los Angeles premiere of The Spy Who Dumped Me on Wednesday about his own experiences with fame while also showing his support for Lovato.
On Tuesday, Lovato was hospitalized for an apparent drug overdose, sources told ET. The 25-year-old singer-actress has been very open in the past about her struggles with substance abuse and mental health.
“I just hope that she stays strong,” Bell told ET. “This is a really rough business. I mean, it’s not just in this industry, just life in general."
The former Drake and Josh star continued, "Everybody around the country and around the world goes through some form of depression or sadness in their life and yeah, I just think that it’s really important when you hear somebody say something and you think that it’s just off the cuff or, ‘Oh, they’re never really going to do that,’ or that will never happen. Really listen to your friends and listen to when someone’s reaching out and they’re asking for help.”
Bell admitted that he was never close with Lovato since she started in Disney and he started in Nickelodeon, but noted he had an understanding of the struggles young stars face growing up in the industry.
“I think, especially nowadays with social media where it’s a constant barrage and it’s in your face all the time, whereas back in the day you would have to go pick up a tabloid to see something about yourself,” he explained. “Now you just wake up in the morning and as you’re laying in bed you can scroll through the trolls.”
In addition to Bell, many stars have showed support for Lovato in the wake of her hospitalization. On Tuesday, her rep released a statement, saying, “Demi is awake with her family who want to express thanks to everyone for the love, prayers, and support. Some of the information being reported is incorrect and they respectfully ask for privacy and not speculation as her health and recovery is the most important thing right now.”
The Spy Who Dumped Me hits theaters on Aug. 3.
For more on Lovato’s current condition, watch the clip below:
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