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On Monday, fans were stunned to hear that Demi Lovato, 18, had dropped out of the Jonas Brothers tour to check herself into a treatment center for "emotional and physical issues." Lovato's father was surprised, too -- but he says he knows why it happened.
"There are a lot of pressures," Patrick Lovato told RadarOnline when asked if Hollywood pressures had gotten to his daughter. "That is one of the things I worried about when she signed with Disney. It's just going to happen."
Patrick, who is battling cancer, says he hasn't spoken to Demi in "a couple of months." (He and Demi's mother divorced when Demi was 2-years-old, and she's spoken about their estrangement in the past.) He did, however, tell the press that he supports her decision to quit the tour.
"Demi’s always had a good head on her shoulders," Patrick told E! News. "It’s best for her right now if she is able to get away from everyone to focus on her treatment."
The prevailing rumor is that Lovato has been struggling with self-mutilation (cutting) and bulimia. According to E! Online, the Jonas Brothers tour has been fraught with drama for Demi -- partly due to the fact that she's touring with ex-boyfriend Joe Jonas, who's now dating Ashley Greene. But tour insiders also say that Lovato was being pushed too hard by Disney.
"The (Jonas) boys got a break after the tour, but Demi went a non-stop promo campaign for Camp Rock 2 and was pushing the single for that movie," a source told E!. "It really was too much to ask of a girl that young. She just couldn't handle it."
As for Disney, they've released a statement saying that they support Lovato's decision to go into rehab. Hopefully, it's not just talk; it does seem like Disney's child stars are being pushed to constantly perform, tour and promote. Maybe this will be a good reminder to Disney that they're children who still need time to grow up.
Do you think that child stars like Demi Lovato are pushed too hard? Chime in below!
