Fans Are Convinced Demi Lovato's "29" Is All About Ex Wilmer Valderrama

Demi Lovato is ready to lay out the truth on their upcoming album, Holy Fvck. Lovato, who uses they/them and she/her pronouns, has always been honest in her lyricism — even if the details are sometimes less than savory. On Wednesday, Aug. 17, Lovato, released their latest single, “29,” and the lyrics delve into the complicated dynamics of a past relationship. Now, fans are convinced the song is all about Lovato’s ex-boyfriend, Wilmer Valderrama, whom she dated on-and-off from 2010 to 2016. (Elite Daily reached out to representatives for Lovato and Valderrama for comment on the song, but did not hear back in time for publication.)

In the lyrics to “29,” Lovato reflects on her adolescence and sings from the perspective of a younger version of herself. “Petal on the vine, too young to drink wine / Just five years a bleeder, student and a teacher,” they open. “Far from innocent, what the f*ck's consent? / Numbers told you not to, but that didn't stop you.”

As The Los Angeles Times pointed out, the lyrics immediately allude to an older man’s relationship with a teenage girl. As a result, fans on TikTok and other social media platforms have drawn a connection between the lyrics and Lovato’s former relationship with Valderrama, who is 12 years older than Lovato. As Lovato said in her 2017 documentary Simply Complicated, she and Valderrama began dating when she was 18. Lovato is now 29, and Valderrama is 42.

“When I met him and I laid eyes on [Valderrama] for the first time, I was in hair and makeup, and I was like, ‘I love his man and I have to have him,’” Lovato said in the documentary. “But I was only 17, so he was like, ‘Get away from me.’ After I turned 18, we began dating.”

“Finally twenty-nine / Funny, just like you were at the time. Thought it was a teenage dream, just a fantasy / But was it yours or was it mine? / Seventeen, twenty-nine,” the “29” lyrics continue. So far, Lovato has not publicly confirmed or denied whether “29” is about Valderrama.

Fans, however, are putting two and two together and are convinced the song is about their relationship. In a tweet linking to a video of Lovato performing “29” live, one fan wrote, “The way Demi Lovato puts up their middle finger while singing about Wilmer Valderrama in 29… thats right baby you didnt deserve to be groomed like that.”

In a 2015 interview with Complex, Lovato shed light on their relationship at the time. “We became really good friends, and he was there for me through a number of situations and breakups and whatever. Then as I got older and we grew closer, it was like, ‘Hey, maybe we should try this thing out.’ We did, and we’ve basically been together ever since,” Lovato said.

That same year, Lovato also thanked Valderrama for his support in her journey towards sobriety; at the time, she celebrated three years sober. “After sharing my ups, putting up with my downs and supporting my recovery... he still never takes credit and I want the world to know how incredible his soul is” Lovato wrote in a since-deleted Instagram post. “I really wouldn’t be alive today without him.... I love you Wilmer.”

In the next set of “29” lyrics, Lovato alludes to an ex’s current relationship: “I see you're quite the collector / Yeah, you're twelve years her elder.” Some fans speculate the lyrics allude to Valderrama’s fiancée, Amanda Pacheco, who is 30. The couple started dating in 2019 and welcomed a baby girl in February 2021. Most recently, Lovato has been reportedly linked to musician Jute$.

In an Aug. 17 interview with Billboard, Lovato reflected on what their next album means for them. “I’ve learned that sometimes saying less is more. And it’s taken me to 30 years old to maybe learn that, but here I am approaching the way that I express myself differently in front of the media because it’s okay to have boundaries,” Lovato said.

“29” resonates with fans reflecting on younger versions of themselves. As one Twitter user noted, “This @ddlovato album is going to hit, cause she keep sprinkling these masterpieces.”

HOLY FVCK will release on August 19, just one day before Lovato’s 30th birthday.