Selena Gomez’s TV Dad Says She Passed on Camp Rock to Let Demi Lovato Have the Part

Selena Gomez’s onscreen dad, David DeLuise, revealed that she passed on being the lead of Camp Rock for Demi Lovato. See why he thinks it was “nice to do.”

By Daisy Maldonado Nov 09, 2022 10:47 PMTags
Watch: Selena Gomez Shares Moment She ALMOST Cut From New Documentary

Selena Gomez almost headed to Camp Rock.

David DeLuise, who played the Rare Beauty founder's father in Wizards of Waverly Place, revealed that the character Mitchie Torres was originally offered to Selena, but she turned it down to let Demi Lovato take the lead. 

"I've never really said this story but they offered Camp Rock to Selena," David said in a resurfaced 2020 podcast interview with Wildchat Sports. "And she knew that if she passed on it, Demi would get the part."

He continued, "So, she passed on it, which was very nice to do. And they were friends. They were on the show Barney together."

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Demi Lovato Through the Years

The 2008 Disney Channel original movie, which followed a group of teens heading to summer camp to work on their music, also starred the Jonas Brothers and received a sequel two years later called Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam.

A year before the follow up film was released, Demi secured her own Disney Channel show, Sonny With A Chance in 2009. As for Selena, she starred as Alex Russo in Wizards of Waverly Place from 2007-2012.

Diggzy/Shutterstock; Getty Images

Although Demi and Selena were childhood friends, they've drifted apart over the years, with Demi revealing that she no longer spoke to the "My Mind and Me" singer.

"When you grow up with somebody, you're always going to have love for them," she told Harper's Bazaar. "But I'm not friends with her."

E! News has reached out to reps for Demi and Selena.