Demi Lovato thinks she’s had it easier than Miley Cyrus.
The 21-year-old singer believes checking into rehab for addiction issues and an eating disorder in 2012 helped cushion the transition from being a Disney child star to a mainstream pop artist for her.
Asked why she didn’t leave Disney and develop a raunchy image, she said: "I guess my transition was a little easier because I went straight to rehab. I didn’t twerk – I just went to rehab!
"But you know what, I think the world needs to get over the fact that [Miley] was Hannah Montana when she was 16.
"Nobody knows her. Nobody really knows who I am, and the same with Selena [Gomez] and Jonas [Brothers] and everyone that has grown up in front of the public eye. We’re adults now."
Demi admires her friend’s guts for building such a strong image, but worries that her hyper sexualised, tongue-waggling persona is "overshadowing" her talent.
She told We Love Pop magazine: "I think she knows what she’s doing. A lot of artists take that route of shock value and that’s fine, but I think she has such an incredible voice that’s overshadowed by some of the things that she’s doing.
"I’ll always love her – she’s been one of my friends since I was 14. But everyone is on their different journeys and she’s having fun, she’s being who she is – so power to her."
Demi Lovato had it easier than Miley
