by Leah Whitcomb
contributor

Demitria Devonne Lovato, singer, songwriter, philanthropist, actress, and X-factor judge admits, “I used to say that [I didn’t want to be a role model]. That was my excuse to do whatever the f*ck I wanted and not give a shit about what other people thought.”

Demi changed her tune after her very public breakdown in October 2010, when she was admitted in rehab for anorexia, bulimia, cutting, drug and alcohol addiction, and bipolar disorder. She returned, however, in January 2011, sassier, blunt, stronger and sexier than ever.

Demi was very open and honest about her personal issues and her stint in rehab. She jokes with Katie Couric, “I guess my transition [from Disney] was easier. . . I didn’t twerk, I just went to rehab.”

Instead of being ashamed of the scars that remain from her cutting, she says, “I think scars are like battle wounds —beautiful in a way. They show what you’ve been through and how strong you are for coming out of it.”

Demi, like many of us, has been through a lot, but what makes her story so special is her honesty in sharing it. She says her main goal today is to be an inspiration to young women, to be the role-model that she never had. When given the choice to drink for her 21 birthday (like so many of us do) or go to Kenya, she went to Kenya to support the charities there.

“There’s nothing more beautiful than authenticity. There’s nothing uglier than transparency, your imperfections make you perfect,” Demi says life can be a lesson to us all. Although we’ve messed up, publicly or privately, we all have a chance for redemption, a new life, and a chance to inspire others.

“I used to say that too,” she admitted to Entertainment Weekly, “I ended up going through some stuff. I realized I’m never going to escape the fact that I’m in the public eye, so I might as well do the best I can.”