i knew it ♪ ♪ but i did my young self proud yeah yeah yeah ♪ ♪ now i'm taking it slow ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [ cheers and applause ] this is nightline. >> tonight, demi lovato. it's time to get the chains out. >> is your tongue tied up? >> the confident singer opening up about life behind the scenes as a child star. >> i don't feel like i had the full experience of a normal childhood. we're putting a roof

on barney's house. >> okay. >> from barney and friends to camp rock. she grew up before our eyes. now unpacking it all. talking to fellow former teen idols. >> you looked at that overdose and said, i will not go down this way. i'm going to actually rise. yeah. this whole project has been about healing for me. >> plus, oscar winner halle berry. >> cat got your tongue. >> the catwoman star taking a turn as scream queen and never let go. >> evil can wear many, many skins. >> this is a darker version of a mother i've ever played. >> the trailblazing actress opening up on still being the only nearly a quarter century later. >> i thought it was going to be the beginning of an onslaught. you know, because women of color, black women are so deserving, and the taboo subject. >> she's taken to capitol hill and the golden bachelorette after an emotional exit on the golden bachelor. this time, it's her turn to hand out the roses.

>> i had 24 amazing men, so we had such a good time. >> did the leading lady find love? >> i'm smiling all night. >> i'm smiling all night. >> nightline will be rightah mo! the golden hour of cold and flu symptoms! i'm feeling better. cough? congestion? all in one and done with mucinex kickstart. aaaaaaaaaaaaa- hated that. headache? better. aaaaaaaaaaaaa- fever? body pain? better now. aaaaaaaaaaaaa- mucinex kickstart gives all-in-one and done relief with a morning jolt of instant cooling sensation. it's not cold and flu season. it's comeback season. to the next. did they even send my lab work...?

wait, was i supposed to bring that? then there's the forms. the bills. the 'not a bills.' the.... ”press 4 to repeat these options.” [chaotic music] [inspirational music] healthcare can get a whole lot easier when your medical records, care and coverage are in one place. at kaiser permanente, all of us work together for all that is you. sure, i'm a paid actor, and this is not a real company, but there is no way to fake how upwork can help your business. search talent all over the world with over 10,000 skills you may not have in house. more than 30% of the fortune 500 use upwork because this is how we work now. >> good evening. thank you for joining us tonight. while other kids her age were reading children's books, demi lovato

was reading acting scripts. she's made a documentary examining the highs and lows of growing up in the spotlight through the experiences of some of the world's most well known former child stars. here's abc's eva pilgrim. >> i try to live life with the philosophy of never having regrets, and i've made some very questionable decisions in my life. but i think ultimately, there's a lesson in everything. >> demi lovato sharing those lessons and the personal cost of her own fame, growing up in front of the camera. >> the popular girls signed a suicide petition saying that i should kill myself. >> her new documentary, child star, that she produced and co-directed, is now streaming on hulu. >> everyone wanted to make it in the industry at a young age, focuses on an exclusive circle of former teen idols who share their highs and lows of fame and fortune. >> i really considered not wanting to act anymore. like, if these are the kinds of things i had to go through.

>> when you are working at a young age, you're excited about it. you want to talk to your friends about it. i just didn't have that support system at school. when i was younger. in fact, i was bullied. it was definitely isolating. >> the film highlighting the emotional trauma that some former child actors still grapple with well into adulthood. drew barrymore, who famously started using drugs and alcohol by age ten. what's happening was only seven. when she starred in steven spielberg's beloved classic e.t. >> i know that things that have happened along the way led to my own rebellion, or downfall. those were all my actions. those were my reactions. that was my coping mechanism. >> raven-symone, who was on the cosby show, called her acting career a family business. >> sometimes, though, the parents dreams might bleed into the child's and you get so enmeshed. you know, parents

forget that children young kids are performing for their parent as an adult. >> lovato is best known for her sizzling singing career with chart topping hits like heart attack, heart attack, confident uncomplicated, did i not speak my mind and sorry, not sorry, i'm sorry, i'm not sorry you're so bad. >> got me feeling so good. >> but it all started back in texas when she caught the acting bug and by age nine was cast on barney and friends. >> we're putting a roof on barney's house. okay, this is real. >> this isn't me. >> she then took the teen scene by storm, costarring with the jonas brothers in disney channel's camp rock and in her own series on the network, sonny with a chance. but those early years weren't as sunny as it may

have appeared. >> do you feel like you had a childhood? >> i remember being a kid in texas, riding my bike around the neighborhood and playing with kids and, you know, the woods. next to my house. but i think the later half of my childhood was spent working, and therefore i don't feel like i had the full experience of a normal childhoo. >> the music, tours, photo shoots and nonstop schedule came with pressure and little downtime. >> it was so hard for me personally to stop because how do you say no to the cover of cosmopolitan, when you know you'll just be sitting at home that day on a day off? >> you talk about sort of the way it took a toll on, like your self-confidence, your self-esteem, the way you viewed yourself, the rejection and then seeing yourself on camera. >> yeah, the rejection is really difficult to deal with. having to separate it from feeling personal is challenging for anyone to understand and go

through, let alone a child. >> those struggles leading to on set outbursts, multiple rehab stays and an opioid overdose that she touches on with drew barrymore. >> you looked at that overdose and said, i will not go down this way. i won't go down at all. i'm going to actually rise. yeah. >> lovato also reckoning with how she treated others when she was young and struggling emotionally, including one of her costars from camp rock. >> the last few years of working together felt really challenging. i do remember, you know, a sense of walking on eggshells. >> i just want to genuinely, deeply apologize for, like any stress or any like, walking on eggshells, any hurt feelings like i'm genuinely so sorry for that. and i look back at that time and i have, like, profound sadness because i'm like, how many people did i treat poorly?

alyson stoner and you had a really special moment. >> why did you feel like you needed to do that? >> it was important to me to right my wrongs, and i felt that even though i was a teenage with a lot of emotional baggage and mental health issues, that i was struggling with, i felt like it was the respectful thing to do. and this whole project has been about healing for me, healing that she and other former child stars hope to pass on to future generations. >> why did you think it was important to include so many different generations of child stars? >> perspective. being a child star for drew barrymore looks very different than what it's like being a child star for jojo siwa, and i think the biggest puzzle piece that was missing in between those two perspectives is the digital age of social media. >> since 1939, child actors have

financially been protected by law, with 15% of their wages going into a trust that can't be touched until they turn 18. >> those laws aren't put in place for social media, and we need to change that. >> that change may be coming. milestone legislation has been unanimously approved in the california state legislature. the child content creator rights act, that would require families profiting off of a minor social media content to create similar trust is awaiting california governor gavin newsom's signature. >> this isn't just for any kid on social media. this is specifically for people that are profiting off of the likeness and images of children on the internet. >> would you allow your own kids to go into the business? >> i would say to them, work on your craft and be in school plays. take singing lessons. if this is what you want to do, work on your craft so that when you turn 18, you can make that

decision for yourself as an adult. i think having them in the industry, any younger than that, just is too close to home, and something that i want to protect them from. >> our thanks to eva when we come back. actor advocate activist halle berry on what she activist halle berry on what she says is her darkest role yet no wonder i don't feel as clean! hurry up dad! you've been in there forever! i'm trying! this cheap stuff is too thin! i told you not to get the other toilet paper. here's charmin ultra strong. ahhh! my bottom's been saved! wooho! with its diamond weave texture, charmin ultra strong cleans better with fewer sheets and less effort. what's everybody waiting for? this? ok hon, we know you're clean. we all go, why not enjoy the go with charmin. the go with charmin? >> immerse yourself in candy

crush music season for your chance to win three epic live chance to win three epic live music experiencese sometimes jonah wrestles with falling asleep... ...so he takes zzzquil. the world's #1 sleep aid brand. and wakes up feeling like himself. get the rest to be your best with non-habit forming zzzquil. ♪ ♪ if you're living with hiv, imagine being good to go without daily hiv pills. good to go off the grid. good to go nonstop. with cabenuva, there's no pausing for daily hiv pills. for adults who are undetectable, cabenuva is the only complete, long-acting hiv treatment you can get every other month. it's two injections from a healthcare provider. just 6 times a year. don't receive cabenuva if you're allergic to its ingredients or if you're taking certain medicines which may interact with cabenuva. serious side effects include allergic reactions, post-injection reactions,

liver problems, and depression. if you have a rash and other allergic reaction symptoms, stop cabenuva and get medical help right away. tell your doctor if you have liver or kidney problems, mental health concerns, and if you are pregnant, breastfeeding or considering pregnancy. some of the most common side effects include injection-site reactions, fever, and tiredness. with cabenuva, you're good to go. ask your doctor about switching. heaven. we're tending to our passengers dream. won't it be nice? to make no mistake about it, it's your job to get to keep everyone alive who

is it possible to count on my internet like my customers count on me? it is with comcast business. keeping you up and running with our 99.9% network reliability. and security that helps outsmart threats to your data. moaire dida twoo? -your data, too. there's even round-the- clock customer support. so you can be there for your customers. with comcast business, reliability isn't just possible. it's happening. switch to reliable comcast business internet with security and get started for $49.99 a month. plus ask how to get up to a $500 prepaid card. call today! what would y'all name this chapter of y'all life? probably family. family, why is that?

buenos dias, buenos dias. la comunidad es el corazón del barrio. pues sin ella no hay vida, no hay esperanza. everything that i'm doing is for my family. yeah. las mismas cosas que yo quiero para mi hijo las quiero para los niños de la comunidad. (♪) . >> welcome back. academy award winning actress halle berry always keeps us guessing which role she'll take next. her

latest project, a horror movie coming just in time for spooky season. here's abc's linsey davis. >> we are joined now by the incomparable halle berry and horror film director extraordinaire, alexandre aja. thank you both so much for joining us. >> thank you. thanks for having us. >> so let's start with just a little fun. catwoman obviously came out 20 years ago, and as if cued by the universe, some stray cats just arrive at your doorstep. tell us what happened here. >> yeah, i am catwoman. i guess i really am. we rescued them, got them shots, got them neutered. now i kept two. i found a good home for the other two. i caught the mama, spay her, put her back out in the yard. so. yeah all good. >> we're going to get to never let go in a moment, which i'm surprised. i still have nails because it's certainly a nail biter. just chilling. but in addition to this role, mama, that you play on never let go and catwoman, obviously and babs and bond woman and of course

monster's ball, which you got the academy award for in 2002. >> this moment is for dorothy dandridge, lena horne, diahann carroll. >> everybody remembers the speech that you were the first black woman to ever get the best actress academy award. but then when i kept reading, it was like, wait, and she's still the only is that a surprising to you as as it is to so many others? >> oh for sure. i mean, who would have thought? i thought it was going to be the beginning of an onslaught, you know, because women of color, black women are so deserving, you know? so, yeah, it's disheartening. but i also have realized, you know, maybe we put a little too much emphasis on awards. and i'm hoping at least that's how i've internalized it, because i see black women, you know, killing the game in the in the business right now. and the opportunity that we didn't have that we now have. and so i ask myself, would you rather have an award or have a career? right so i go for the

career. >> well, speaking of the career, the continues to expand. never let go. alex, i want to talk to you about that. but first i want to take a look at a clip. >> one touch without a robe on is all it takes to possess one of us and get inside the house. never let go >> never let go. >> so creepy. riveting. the layers here all. everything all at once. many people are going to remember your work with the hills have eyes. what is it that attracts you to the horror genre? >> there is something in that genre that just creates another experience. it's not a movie that you watch. it's a movie that you leave with your guts. it's a very immersive experience. and i mean, for whoever love that type of movie, it's just like making you cross the mirror. you're on the other

side, especially when you have amazing, you know, actors who can take you there. and i'm wondering what drew you to this role. >> because first of all, mama is so complex on the surface, we think this is just a mom who loves her kids, who's trying to keep them safe. but then as the movie continues on, i started being not so sure about mama. >> yeah, that's the complexity that he's talking about. and i wanted to make sure we really dug down deep into that because we really are dealing with generational trauma, and it's kind of what it looks like shows up on our mama. and i also wanted to make sure as you watch the movie, you kind of have this question, is mama suffering mental illness or is this evil somehow real? >> but beyond actress, you're also an advocate activist. many people know now that you've made this a platform really talking about menopause, which for so long has been really taboo. >> it has to be stigmatized. >> the shame has to be taken out of menopause. we have to talk about this very normal part of our life that happens.

>> you work with now, doctor jill biden, working on a bipartisan bill to get more research done about menopause. why do you think that for so long people didn't talk about it? >> well, it's a conversation that's been hard to have because women have been characterized that after we're done with our childbearing years, they're kind of done with us, right. and so i think it's time for us to reclaim that narrative, and we need more money to come up with more therapies, more clinical tests, more trials, so that we can start leaning into the woman when she's down this midlife journey. well, as a woman who's almost knocking on 50 door, i thank you on behalf of all of us. >> and alex, just give us a sense of what you're working on next. >> well, there's always so many stories to tell and so many other ways to scare the audience. so we are working right now on another crawl, you know, going back in the water with alligators. it's a movie i did a few years ago. and i would love to find something else to

do with ally. >> it was such an amazing experience. you don't always work with the director. that's always as collaborative as alex was, and it was a dream. >> haley. alex, we thank you both so much for joining us tonight. >> our thanks to lindsey. never let go is now in theaters. when we come back, my nightline co-anchor juju chang, joined by the first ever golden bachelorette, joan vassos, i am ready. >> let this journey begin. >> what she says surprised her about her two dozen swoon worthy about her two dozen swoon worthy suitors. oh, myfe? ♪ it's how you can change it. ♪ how you can reinvent yourself? ♪ take on new challenges. so go ahead. reimagine yourself. [car accelerates] ♪ we did. ♪ introducing the all-new,

reimagined nissan kicks. ♪ lactaid is 100% real milk, just without the lactose. delicious too. just ask my old friend, kevin. nothing like enjoying a cold one while watching the game. who's winning? we are, my friend. we are. . >> trying with watsonx assistant. built with ibm's granite models, it's ai that can help resolve problems by understanding your customer requests with 90 percent accuracy. let's create customer service in service of customers, with watsonx assistant. ibm. let's create. want a next level clean? swish with the whoa of listerine. it kills 99.9% of bad breath germs for five times more cleaning power than brushing and flossing alone.

get a next level clean... ahhhhh with listerine. feel the whoa! hezbollah, martha raddatz reports from tel aviv, plus the race to

and this is not a real company, there is no way to fake how upwork can help your business. upwork is half the cost of our old recruiter and they have top-tier talent and everything from pr to project management because this is how we work now.

>> by joan vasos enjoyed a brief but memorable outing in the inaugural season of the golden bachelor. the 61 year old school administrator and fan favorite left just three weeks into the show because of a family crisis. but now she's back in the bachelor mansion, only this time she's the one making history as the first ever golden bachelorette. welcome to nightline. thank you for having me. well, i'm curious, what did you learn handing out those roses about finding love or

finding love again? >> yeah, well, handing out roses is the hardest part. finding love? i had 24 amazing men, so we had such a good time. i think we all learned a lot about ourselves, and we came out of this season like really different people. >> so as we watch these suitors climbing out of the limo, i must say it's quite refreshing to see older bachelors more mature. someone called it a swoon fest, a charismatic frenchman, navy captain, and a guy who literally wrote you poetry. so let's take a look. >> take your hand, be your man, and hope you understand that i'm grateful and blessed to see you in that dress. >> that was beautiful. >> you are good. you are. you do have a talent. >> you had 24 men vying for your hand. what was your criteria going in to try to cull down that list? >> gosh, that's really hard. you know, i wanted to find somebody that i had fun with. you do kind

of all this work on the first half of your life so you can kind of enjoy the second half of your life. and my husband passed away right when our fourth kid was finishing college. and like, right when we were about to dive into that really fun part of our life. and i felt really sad that i felt like i didn't have a future. >> you even said that you wanted that commonality among your suitors, somebody who had experienced loss in some form. >> yeah, you know, it makes it easier. it wasn't a criteria, but it certainly wasn't something that i was, you know, backing away from, like, i, you know, i, i could handle that emotion from a man if he could handle it for me. >> but i think a lot of the people who are watching feel that the men were sort of open and vulnerable and willing to be sort of emotionally self-aware. >> it was kind of amazing. i think a lot of us pictured them being guys that just would want to just guys in general of this age, would just not really want to talk about their emotions. and they opened up because i think they felt a little like us women did on the golden bachelor that they had kind of found their tribe that like, all of a sudden you're in a room of

people that are exactly like you. >> i want to talk about there's been recent heartache in bachelor nation. gary broke up with teresa after the golden wedding and more recently, jen tran had a lot of heartache as well. do you still believe you can find love on tv? >> i, i wouldn't have been there if i if i didn't think that. in fact, i do believe that gary and teresa found love in their season. i was there to witness it. you know, i feel like when they figured out it didn't work out or wasn't going to work out for them, they, you know, they called it quits. >> do you want to tell us if you found love in this season? >> i would love to tell you if i found love in this season, but, like, i'm smiling, aren't i? i'm very happy. i think my season ended just the way it was, like perfectly well. >> we're very much looking forward to seeing what happens. i appreciate you being here. thank you, thank you. congratulations. >> this was so much fun. >> not at all. and of course, you can catch jones season of the golden bachelorette wednesdays at eight seven central on abc. and of course, stream the next day on hulu. >> our thanks to juju. that's nightline for this evening. catch our full episode