December 2011

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 7, 2011 – Teen phenomenon Demi Lovato graces the cover of Latina magazine’s “Reasons to Love Being Latina” double issue, which hits newsstands on November 15th.

Cover: DEMI LOVATO
The 19-year-old singer and actress opens up to Latina about her emotional yearlong journey back from “rock bottom.” She tells us she is now “happy, healthy and driven,” devoted to being a role model and how she is drawing strength from her family.

On rehab: “I thought I was going to lose everything when I checked myself into treatment. I didn’t know if I would have a career at all when I came home. So it really hit me – I hadn’t been grateful. In that sense, I can honestly say I’m glad I hit rock bottom when I did. Most people don’t have those moments. I see a lot of young people in this industry who feel entitled because they haven’t hit rock bottom yet. I feel blessed when I get an opportunity now.”

On airing out her problems: “It wasn’t my idea, to be 100 percent honest. It was influenced by management, publicists and family. But they were all bringing up a good point: What teens need most is someone that they can relate to – someone they connect with on serious subjects like eating disorders, cutting, bipolar disorder, depression and bullying. I’ve been there. I get it. Why wouldn’t I be honest about it so I could help someone else?”

On being estranged from her father: “Sometimes there are people in your life that you have to cut out. It sucks when it’s your own father. But I know what’s best for me. At a young age, I had to learn that. I have an old soul, because I had to grow up fast – because of the public eye and because of my life experiences.”

On staying healthy: “I continue to have moments. I still think sometimes that I’m not strong enough and I need extra help. I can’t tell you how many people I have working with me in recovery. It’s good. It’s positive. [But] it’s a daily battle. Things can still get me down sometimes. But nothing keeps me down.”

On being Latina: “Latina culture means warm family gatherings, special stories and a bond that I love to experience. I feel so much love and comfort when I’m with [the Latino] side of my family. It makes me proud of my culture and my ethnicity.”

On her big career dreams: “In 2012, I really want to be at the Grammys. And I don’t want to go unless I’m nominated, presenting or performing. It’s my lifetime goal to be able to say I’m nominated. So I really want to make that happen.”

You can watch our behind the scenes video of Demi’s cover shoot and download a high-resolution image of the cover at: http://www.latina.com/magazine.

Also in the issue…

Reasons To Love Being Latina – A look back at the moments in 2011 that made us the most proud
Unique Challenges Faced By Afro-Latinas – A special report on how a new generation is proudly claiming the identity of Afro-Latina
Perfect Party Looks – We’ll show you sexy eye makeup, easy hair tricks and the best dresses for your body
Latino Holiday Table – Six crowd-pleasing recipes to cook this holiday season

On Latina.com

Television actress April Lee Hernandez-Castillo makes her debut this week as a blogger for Latina.com. In her first blog post, she talks about growing up in The Bronx and how her Puerto Rican family inspired her to dream big and be proud of who she is. April will cover a broad range of topics in her posts each month ranging work-life balance and going back to school to contemplating motherhood and motivating our youth.