While Miley Cyrus and Selena Gomez remain curiously silent on Demi Lovato's situation, not all of the starlet's peers are mum about her decision to get treatment—or on what possibly led her to seek it out in the first place.
And on at least one point, her costars seem to agree: Demi was a pro. But the stress she was under—and it would have been considerable for anyone, let alone her 18-year-old self—occasionally led to some peculiar on-set behavior.
"Someone in her position, she's a role model. I can see it being way too much for somebody that's 18 or 19 years old," Camp Rock 2 costar Shaun Shetty told E! News.
But while Shetty didn't go into detail, he acknowledged that the set wasn't always an oasis of calm, and hinted that the nickname "Demi Drama" might not have been completely unwarranted.
"I'll admit there were some times she seemed a little...I'd use the word high maintenance," he said. "But I could definitely see it, especially with the people who worked a lot with her on the movie...I could see it as a possibility."
All the same, the news of Demi's foray into treatment for "physical and emotional issues" came as a surprise to Shetty, who said that Lovato always "just seemed like she had everything going for her. It didn't seem like she had any worries, any problems. If there were something going on at the time, she did an amazing job covering it up."
A source close to the star has admitted that she has struggled with personal demons.
"Demi has a long history of battling these issues," the insider tells E! News. "She was bullied in school, has fought through eating disorders, and has struggled with cutting. This has been a lifetime struggle, and Demi is taking control by reaching out for help."
But while that's true, Shetty at least said that he never personally witnessed any destructive behavior from the show's star.
At mealtimes, while most of the cast would eat together, Lovato would disappear, presumably, Shetty said, to eat alone. She also had something of a penchant for piling on bracelets, though Shetty made clear that he never saw any cut marks under the bands.
Fellow Camp Rock 2 costar Kevin Krouglow had a similar story.
While Krouglow said he was familiar with the rumors about Lovato's past (she herself has been quite vocal about her untenable victimization by bullies), he said that all the negative stories he heard about his costar came "from secondary sources" and were never witnessed firsthand.
"I've read she used to be a cutter and was bullied as a kid, dealing with low self-esteem," he told E! News. "I know that on set she had bracelets perhaps to cover her wrists for that reason. But most of this I heard from secondary sources."
Still, despite what he heard through the grapevine, Krouglow said the news of her seeking treatment nevertheless came as a shock.
"She seemed incredibly full of life and in great spirits," he said. "It's actually really surprising and sad that someone so beautiful, talented and successful would have... whatever it is that she's dealing with."
However, not everyone from the production, which filmed from August to November 2009, seems to have been so well-versed in her alleged behavior.
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Singer and dancer George Anderson told E! News, "I never saw anything like that. I worked with her for over two months."
Anderson said Demi was nothing but sweet to everyone on the production and slammed reports indicating anything otherwise.
"After a week together she opened up and we all became like family," he said. "She is such a hard worker and just a normal teenage girl.
"Her mom was there a lot with her and was always on set; they have a good relationship and are very close. She is also really close with her bodyguard, so any of this would be surprising."
In addition to the support of her costars, fans and the Disney Channel, her parents, too, have released a statement backing their daughter's decision.
"Our entire family appreciates the outpouring of support we have received from Demi's fans," Eddie and Dianna De La Garza told People.
"We are touched by their kindness."
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