The Camp Rock co-stars were too cute together after Demi scored the role of Mitchie Torres in the 2008 Disney Channel movie and its sequel, Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam. She and Joe recorded songs such as “This Is Me” and “Make a Wave” together, so joining the Jonas Brothers‘ world tour in 2010 was a no-brainer.
But Joe and Demi split up in 2010 and decided to just be friends.
To clear up the speculation that Joe hadn’t gone about splitting up in the most gracious of ways, Demi tweeted that May, “There are so many crazy rumors flying around today. I’d like to clear a few things up. First, Joe and I did split but it wasn’t over the phone. Things didn’t work out but we’ll remain friends. Secondly, I am NOT dating anybody already. Nothing is more important to me than the relationship I have with my fans. Just thought you guys should know this.”
And Joe, now a first-time dad with wife Sophie Turner, told People, “I realize over the time we have shared together that I feel I care more about our friendship right now. It was my choice to break up but I love her as a friend. She’s been there for me when I needed her. I will continue to be her friend and be there for her.”
That seemed to work until that November in 2010, when Demi abruptly left the tour after deciding in Peru that she just couldn’t continue and checked into rehab.
As she has since talked about in raw interviews, in song lyrics and in her 2017 documentary Demi Lovato: Simply Complicated, her struggles with an eating disorder and drug abuse prevented her from having truly healthy relationships for a long time because she was so down on herself. But her friendship with Joe—and Nick Jonas, whom she’s also toured with—has endured.
“It’s cool to be able to have, I think, friends in this music business but also I think it’s way different, we’re family at this point,” Joe, promoting DNCE at the time, told Access Hollywood when he and Demi sat down for a joint interview in 2016. “We’ve all gone through so much, good and bad, but we’ve watched each other through the sidelines or supported each other…” Demi added “And I’m so proud to have watched you evolve with DNCE.”
Asked what she called Joe if Nick was her “best friend and brother,” Joe cut in. “A lot of names,” he quipped.