Demi Lovato's Thanksgiving Turkey Controversy Explained
Singer and actress Demi Lovato has found herself at the centre of renewed online ridicule after a Thanksgiving blunder from 2020 resurfaced on social media. The incident, which juxtaposed her visit to an animal sanctuary with her subsequent holiday meal, was recently highlighted on Reddit, sparking a fresh wave of amused and critical comments from users.
The Sanctuary Visit and the Fateful Meal
Back in 2020, the 33-year-old pop star toured a Farm Sanctuary in California, an animal protection organisation. During her visit, she was photographed cuddling a turkey, an image the sanctuary shared on their social media. The post enthusiastically stated: 'Turkeys are bright, social animals who enjoy being pet - just ask Demi Lovato... The turkeys were so excited to meet Demi Lovato at our California Sanctuary.' They thanked her for visiting and encouraged followers to 'Choose compassion this Thanksgiving' by sponsoring a rescued turkey.
Shortly after this post, Lovato took to her own Instagram account to share her Thanksgiving celebration. She posted a picture of her cooked meal, which featured a roasted turkey fresh from the oven. The image was overlaid with the text, 'I'm thankful for all of you' accompanied by a heart emoji. Followers were quick to notice the stark contrast between her earlier interaction with a live turkey and her decision to serve one for dinner.
Online Reaction and Renewed Scrutiny
The side-by-side images recently gained traction again on Reddit, with a post titled: 'In honor of Thanksgiving, remember when a farm sanctuary posted a picture of Demi Lovato with a turkey (animal) just for her to post turkey (food)?' The response was swift and humorous.
One user quipped, 'Forgive me father for I have sinned, but the way these two images are side by side makes it feel like it's the same turkey in both photos lmao.' Another joked, 'What? Don't you cuddle your dinner before you eat it?' A third comment read, 'I'm going straight to hell for laughing at this,' while a pun-loving user wrote, 'Absolutely fowl of her.'
At the time of the original incident, Lovato was called out for the perceived 'cruel' blunder, especially as she had posted multiple photos from her sanctuary tour, highlighting animals that were 'rescued from cruelty'. She had written about her experience, saying, 'The highlight of my tour was cuddling with a rescued turkey named Sandy. Not only are these animals cute, but they are forgiving.' She praised the animals' 'strength and resilience' in learning to trust humans again.
Lovato's Recent Focus on Health and Activism
In more recent news, the singer, who married artist Jordan 'Jutes' Lutes in May, has been in the spotlight for her health and fitness. She recently showcased her reported 50lb weight loss in a black-and-white bikini while on a yacht in a new Instagram post. While it has been reported that her weight has gone from 181lbs to 128lbs this year, Lovato has not confirmed if she used any medication like Ozempic to achieve this.
Instead, she has attributed her physical transformation to healing and improved mental health. Lovato revealed that working on her 2024 documentary, Child Star, which explores the challenges of early fame, involved significant personal healing. She told Who What Wear, 'I did a lot of healing for myself to be able to come out of that experience with some tangible change.' This process has since led her to become a political activist for children in the entertainment industry in the United States.
