NEWSDemi Lovato Calls Out Age Difference in Wilmer Valderrama Relationship 10 Years After Breakup: 'It Was Really Challenging'
Demi Lovato called out the age difference in her relationship with Wilmer Valderrama 10 years after their breakup.
March 4 2026, Updated 11:26 a.m. ET
Demi Lovato has some regrets about her past romance with Wilmer Valderrama.
During the Tuesday, March 3, episode of the “Baby, This Is Keke Palmer” podcast, the singer, 33, revealed that in retrospect, she looks down on the age gap she shared with her ex, 46.
Demi Lovato guest-starred on Keke Palmer's podcast.
“I’m sitting here in this state of mind today, like, grateful for everything that I’ve been through,” she expressed. “It was really challenging. There wasn’t a lot of time for play, but when I did, I played pretty hard.”
“I feel like people don’t understand that that’s what we were dealing with, you know? I found myself dating. I’m 15. Why is my boyfriend 20?” questioned host Keke Palmer.
“Why was my boyfriend 30?” Lovato said of Valderrama, whom she began dating in 2010 when she was just 18. “You know what I’m saying?”
Demi Lovato and Wilmer Valderrama dated for nearly six years.
Palmer explained how, as young actors, they “were trying to find outlets and just a way to process” their fame.
“Nobody our age could understand. But then you look back in hindsight, when I turned 30 I was like, ‘That’s not OK,'” Lovato said of dating an older man.
“Girl, the moment that you realize and you get to the age that a lot of people that were around you and doing stuff,” the True Jackson, VP alum continued. “It’s almost a mental break that can happen because you realize you were taken advantage of. ‘Oh, I was being exploited.'”
“Especially if you are an older soul, too. Especially if you’re mature for your age,” the “Confident” artist added.
Demi Lovato Alluded to Wilmer Valderrama's Age Difference in Song '29'
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Demi Lovato and Wilmer Valderrama have a 12-year age gap.
Lovato revealed she penned the song “29” about Valderrama, the age he was when they met.
“When you listen to it, I think you’ll be able to relate to it,” the musician said, noting she was “too young to drink wine” when they began dating.
“Just five years of bleeders, student and a teacher / Far from innocent / What the f---- consent? / Numbers told you not to / But that didn’t stop you,” she belted out in the 2022 track.
Demi Lovato Explains Why She and Wilmer Valderrama Broke Up
Demi Lovato wrote a song about Wilmer Valderrama's age.
Lovato further reflected on her breakup in her documentary Simply Complicated.
"It had nothing to do with falling out of love. We decided together that we're just probably better as friends," she explained. "I think my heart's always with Wilmer. I think it was with Wilmer. I think that it is with Wilmer and I think that it will be because you don't share six years with somebody and not give them a piece of your heart and vice versa. I'm pretty sure that I'm not gonna meet anybody that compares to him."
The star added at the time, "The sparks never faded, but there are issues that I haven't conquered yet that I know I won't conquer if I'm relying on somebody else to take care of the loneliness."
Demi Lovato Wanted to Marry Wilmer Valderrama
Demi Lovato was planning to marry Wilmer Valderrama.
In a 2015 radio interview, Lovato admitted she would be open to marrying her man — even though she was privy to their large age gap.
"People were definitely judgmental [of our age difference] and even like my parents were kind of like, 'I don't know why someone his age is wanting to date someone so young.' After a while, everyone started to see that what we have is real and incredible and very special and we have been together ever since," she recalled at the time.
The pop star went on to marry singer Jutes, 34, in 2025.
