Demi Lovato has apologised for getting “the messaging wrong” when she took aim at a frozen yoghurt store for seemingly promoting diet foods.
Demi Lovato
The 'Sober' singer – who has battled drug addiction and an eating disorder – recently urged The Bigg Chill in Los Angeles to "do better" as she felt they were pushing a diet culture by putting sugar-free and low-calorie foods in prominent positions in the store.
And after the store responded to point out they “carry items for Diabetics, Celiac disease, Vegan and of course have many indulgent items as well”, Demi has taken to social media to apologise to those she may have “disappointed” with her outburst.
In an eight-minute video posted on Instagram, Demi said: “I am very outspoken about the things that I believe in. I understand that sometimes my messaging can lose it’s meaning when I get emotional. I am somebody who is just very passionate about what I believe in and I’ve lived through enough to know when to speak up for people who don’t have a voice.”
The 28-year-old singer believes the messaging in the store should be “clearer” when it comes to marketing products toward those with specific dietary needs, and said she is willing to “work with” the shop to “help align the messaging”.
She added: “Because it wasn’t clear, I definitely jumped to conclusions and probably shouldn’t have gone about this the way that I have. I’m willing to talk to this froyo shop to help get this messaging right … I’m human and I talk about my struggles. I’m passionate, so I’m sorry that I got the messaging wrong. I’m sorry that I may have disappointed some people.
“I’m not coming after a small business as someone with a lot of followers. That’s not what I’m doing here. I walked into a situation that didn’t sit right with me, my intuition said speak up about this, so I did. And I feel good about that. What I don’t feel good about, is some of the way that it’s been interpreted and how the message has gotten misconstrued over all of it. I will do whatever I can to work with this froyo shop if they want to, to help align the messaging.
“I’m genuinely sorry that people took it the wrong way. I just get really passionate.”
In her original comments, Demi accused The Bigg Chill of both enabling and praising “disordered eating”.
She fumed on her Instagram Story: "Finding it extremely hard to order froyo from [The Bigg Chill] when you have to walk past tons of sugar-free cookies/other diet foods before you get to the counter. Do better please.
"So I think I'm gonna have to make that hashtag a thing.
"I will be calling harmful messages from brands or companies that perpetuate a society that not only enables but praises disordered eating. (sic)"
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