Summary
- Demi Lovato revealed in an interview that dating older men when she was a teenager made her feel "gross." She believes it's unhealthy and toxic for young people to be with much older partners.
- She previously dated Wilmer Valderrama, known for dating younger celebrities, but their breakup was amicable. Lovato has since moved on and found a partner her own age, Jordan Lutes, whom she finds attractive and laughs with constantly.
- Lovato claims that her issues with older men, which she attributes to "daddy issues," are no longer a factor in her dating choices. She feels confident in her current relationship and sees a future with Lutes, including marriage and kids.
Cringe-worthy! Demi Lovato revealed recently that dating a man 13 years older than her made her feel "gross." A fact that could come as a shock to fans, given that Lovato looked so happy and content throughout the relationship.
On Monday, Lovato was a guest on The Howard Stern Show. During the interview, she revealed that dating men significantly older than her is something that she now looks back on as "gross." However, she was quick to point out that much of this gut reaction comes from the fact that she was a teenager when this happened versus an age difference later in life.
"I think what I went through is that I had a phase of dating older men and dating older guys," Lovato explained. "I went through a phase when I was attracted to older guys because of my daddy issues, obviously."
Lovato went on to say, "For me, I was a teenager. And so to me, that's gross. If you are 50 and 60, you're fine. Even 30 and 40, that's not gross at all. But, I think, that when you're in those development years, you should absolutely not be with somebody that is older than you by that much. It's just unhealthy and toxic."
While Lovato refrained from naming names during her time on the show, the person that she dated in her teens and into her early twenties was Wilmer Valderrama, who was known for dating younger celebrities, such as Lindsay Lohan and Mandy Moore, who years later he had to apologize to for his inappropriate interview on The Howard Stern Show.
The two met when Lovato was 17 years old but did not confirm there was a romantic relationship between them until Lovato was 18. At that time, Valderrama was 29 years old.
When the two eventually broke up six years later, there were no ill words spoken. Even when Valderrama got engaged in 2020 to Amanda Pacheco, who is 11 years his junior, Lovato congratulated him and wished him the best.
It was not until Lovato released her eighth studio album, Holy Fvck in 2022 that fans believed she had finally processed being in a relationship with someone so much older at a younger age. They specifically believed that she referenced the relationship on the track 29, in which it was clear that there was no longer a relationship of any kind between the two.
Demi Lovato Dated Several Older Men After Breaking Up With Wilmer Valderrama
While Valderrama was the longest of relationships that Lovato had with older men, he was not the only man she dated at a younger age where there was a significant age difference.
Shortly after Lovato and Valderrama broke up in 2016, Lovato got into a relationship with UFC fighter, Luke Rockhold. Rockhold was seven years older than Lovato and while the relationship looked to be fun and exciting, the two eventually broke up several months after they were first reportedly together.
After Rockhold, Lovato found herself in another relationship with a pro fighter during the summer of 2016. This time it was Guilherme Vasconcelos who was six years her senior.
While Lovato and Vasconcelos lasted for five months, they too broke up. There was a brief reconciliation in January 2017, but that was short-lived and the two went their separate ways shortly thereafter.
The age difference that Lovato looked for in the men she dated has been traced back to having "daddy issues." But according to Lovato, those issues are long gone.
Demi Lovato Claims "Daddy Issues" Are Over Today
During her interview with Stern, Lovato made it clear that she has worked hard to get over her daddy issues and has proof that they no longer hold any influence on who she does or does not date.
"I can say with confidence that my daddy issues aren’t anything that are inside of me anymore," Lovato explained. "I think there’s a few signs to that. I’m with a partner that is my age, essentially. I look back on the past [of dating older men] and think 'that’s gross.'"
Lovato's current beau is Jordan Lutes. The two met while Lovato was working on Holy Fvck and there was an instant attraction between the two.
"He came in to write on one of my sessions and I was in the studio and was immediately attracted to him. I like texted my friends on the side and was like, ‘He’s so hot!'” she said.
Lovato went on to say, "There’s this partnership there that is just so magnetic, and the way that we laugh together. It’s just nonstop. I think if you can find someone that makes you feel safe, that you’re so attracted to, that you laugh with constantly, that’s the formula of a really great relationship."
The two are apparently getting serious as there has been talk about marriage and having kids in the future. And given that the couple is essentially the same age, this may just be the relationship that sticks for Lovato.
