When Demi Lovato referenced her most famous memes in the video for her single “Fast” over the summer, she very clearly was using her past embarrassing viral moments as a way of taking back her power; a winning tactic in the journey of healing oneself no doubt, but also a smart marketing move on Demi’s part because of just how viral those moments were and continue to be. 

 

Well folks, she’s taking it one step further by literally transforming herself into her most famous meme of all, Poot Lovato. 

Demi Lovato as Poot
 

Demi has finally let Poot out from the basement. If you’re wondering who Poot is, what this basement situation is, and why she’s so iconic, pull up a chair. The Poot Lovato meme originated on Tumblr back in 2015. It was an unflattering edited photo of Demi on a red carpet, a photo that she mentioned that she didn’t even realize was edited for years and it wasn’t until she did realize it wasn’t real that she could get in on the joke. 

 

The original photo was taken during her 2014 Royal Variety performance, the fan’s phone clearly was overexposed and someone edited her jaw and hair, but also it was just a shitty angle, we all have them. I myself might be a f-cking baddie on Instagram, but even I know my angles honey. 

Poot Lovato was photoshopped 
 

This wasn’t just a bad photo though, the edited version first came online with a story attached. Basically, a picture is worth a thousand words and in this case, you get the picture and the words = a pop culture moment. In this story, Poot Lovato was Demi’s long lost twin sister who she kept locked in a basement her whole life, with this event being the first time she saw the outside world, LOL. It’s been ten years and I still laugh literally every time I see it because it just reminds me of how weird the internet was in 2015, that a photo like that could even create such a movement, because that’s what it was and is. Poot even has her own Wikipedia page for f-ck sake! 

https://x.com/ddlovatoicon/status/1983979370147672531
 

A huge reason why Poot has become such a phenomenon (aside from the fact that she’s just ridiculous) is because Demi herself is in on the joke. The way that she committed herself to the plot for this costume is nothing short of genius, and frankly she made Poot look fierce. The half bald head is a little wild to me but maybe that’s just my own fear of male pattern baldness coming into play. 

This isn’t the first time that Demi has acknowledged Poot, in a loving way of course. She celebrated her birthday back in 2023 with Poot Oreos and has talked about Poot affectionately since. It also doesn’t hurt that Demi is promoting her new album It’s Not That Deep. She already has more than 2 million likes on TikTok at the time of writing, so the viral numbers for this costume reveal certainly help the greater picture. I know I gave the album another stream after seeing Poot’s revival, LOL. 

 

As if the photo shoot wasn’t enough of a gift, Demi also gave us two TikToks where we can see Poot come to life in real time. She’s attempting to escape from her basement in one of them, while the other is her giving us a tour of her humble abode, bubble wrap and all. Sabrina Carpenter’s “House Tour” being a trending song couldn’t come at a more convenient time either, because Poot can now finally show us where she has been confined. I really wish all celebrities were able to laugh at themselves more like this because it was never supposed to be that serious. Here’s hoping Demi brings Poot out on tour. Ahhh, what a time to be alive.

@ddlovato

hi AD it’s me poot, welcome to my basement!

♬ House Tour - Sabrina Carpenter
@marian.lunar

Demi posted rare footage of Poot Lovato screaming for help. So kind of her to let us know Poot is happy and healthy 🥹 #demilovato #poot #foryoupagе #demi #lovato

♬ original sound - Marian Lunar

It’s worth noting that I literally had a friend text me that TikTok as I type this. Demi’s costume has caught the attention of more than just Lovatics, including celebs like Charli XCX who commented “omg obsessed with you”. Even Demi’s own mother promises she “did NOT LET POOT OUT”. As the years go on, the sheer amount of celebrities creating the same type of Halloween costumes referencing different celebrities in a photo shoot is getting tired. While Halle Bailey is causing online divide over her imitation of Lisa Bonet, we have Demi on the other hand referencing her own damn self from a meme. The fact that she can do that and it’s actually relevant is a flex that very few can make. A final message to influencers and Kardashians alike: it's time to pack it up because Demi Lovato has won Halloween, better luck next year girls! 

 

Demi Lovato attends a listening party for her new album in New York, October 27, 2025
Photo credits: PapCulture/ Backgrid

Share this post