The things you do for friendship. An interview recently resurfaced following the release of Selena Gomez‘s intimate “My Mind & Me” documentary reveals the star years ago made a professional sacrifice for one of her closest friends at the time, Demi Lovato. In a 2020 appearance on Wildchat Sports, television director David DeLuise, who played the Russo family’s lovable patriarch on “Wizards of Waverly Place,” said Gomez turned down the starring role in “Camp Rock” to ensure that it would go to Lovato.
“I’ve never really said this story, but . . . they offered ‘Camp Rock’ to Selena,” DeLuise said at the time. He continued, “And Selena knew that if she had passed on it, that Demi would get the part.” Gomez already had her breakout as Alex Russo in “Wizards of Waverly Place,” and apparently, in an effort to help Lovato catch her own big break, she gave up the opportunity so her friend could have it instead.
DeLuise said it was “very nice of her to do.” He added, “And they were friends. They were on the show ‘Barney’ together,” pointing to where the pair’s years-long friendship began. Gomez and Lovato also went on to star in “The Princess Protection Program” together in 2009, joining forces as two of Disney’s biggest names at the time.
Since the seconds-long interview sound bite has bubbled back up on the internet, fans have been quick to point out that even if Gomez did help Lovato by passing up on the role, there is no “Camp Rock” without Lovato. And, as Lovato explained in an August interview on the “Call Her Daddy” podcast, she auditioned for each of her Disney roles and experienced plenty of rejection before finally booking “Camp Rock” and “Sonny With a Chance.”
With all the revelations in Gomez’s recent documentary, people are more curious than ever about her old friendships, career phases, and life in general. Though we can agree that Lovato’s performance as Mitchie Torres was a cultural reset for many millennials, could you imagine an alternate version with Gomez instead?
