In my mind it seemed normal: Demi Lovato and Keke Palmer reflect on dating grown men when they were teenagers
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In my mind it seemed normal: Demi Lovato and Keke Palmer reflect on dating grown men when they were teenagers

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Demi Lovato and Keke Palmer are reflecting on dating grown men as teenagers while facing “a lot of pressure” and struggles as young actors on networks like Disney Channel and Nickelodeon.

On Tuesday’s episode of “Baby, This is Keke Palmer,” the two stars opened up about their experiences as they discussed the stress they went through directing major shows like Lovato’s “Sonny With A Chance” and Palmer’s “True Jackson, VP” as teenagers.

“It was really challenging. There wasn’t a lot of time to play, but when I did, I played pretty hard,” Lovato said after getting candid about “self-medicating” during the arduous time.

“I mean, that’s very [expletive]”Palmer responded. “I know we don’t want any drama, but I feel like people don’t understand that that’s what we were dealing with. You know, I found myself dating, I’m 15 years old. Why is my boyfriend 20?

Lovato chimed in: “Uh, why was my boyfriend 30 years old? You know what I’m saying?”

“Girl! Damn!” exclaimed Palmer. “That’s real. We were trying to find ways out, though. A way to process it.”

Both the “Heart Attack” singer, now 33, and Palmer, now 32, continued to lament that “no one our age could understand” at the time the complexities of what they and other teen stars were facing in the spotlight.

“But then when you look back, in retrospect, when I turned 30, I thought, ‘That’s not right,’” Lovato added.

The “One of Them Days” star told Lovato that it wasn’t until she reached the age of the adults she used to associate with that she realized she was being exploited.

Demi Lovato and Keke Palmer during their wide-ranging interview on March 3, 2026 on Palmer's “Baby, This is Keke Palmer.”
Demi Lovato and Keke Palmer during their wide-ranging interview on March 3, 2026 on Palmer’s “Baby, This is Keke Palmer” podcast.

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“The moment you realize and you get older that there were a lot of people around you doing things, it’s almost a mental break that can happen,” he shared. “Because you realize: ‘You were taking advantage [me]. Oh, they were exploiting me.’ That was very difficult for me.”

Palmer recalled understanding the age difference in their early relationship due to the nature of their work.

“At 15, I’m like, ‘My boyfriend is older because I’m doing an older job. And I’m doing a lot of stuff, and that’s just how it is,'” she explained. “And in my mind it seemed normal.”

Lovato chimed in, adding, “Especially if you’re an old soul too. Especially if you’re mature for your age.”

Palmer then praised former Disney star Hilary Duff for releasing the vulnerable song “Mature,” in which she reflected on an inappropriate relationship she had with an older man during her youth.

“It’s like, ‘Oh shit, we all had the same damn life,’” Palmer said. “Where people kept telling us, ‘You’re very mature for your age.’”

Lovato gushed about Duff’s song before sharing that she released something similar. “I also wrote a song about it. It’s called ’29’ and when you hear it, I think you’ll be able to relate to it.”

Watch the episode “Baby, This Is Keke Palmer” below.

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