Entertainment

Demi Lovato speaks on dad's death

Demi Lovato reveals her father didn't "function very well in society" before he passed. The 20-year-old singer's dad Patrick died recently after a battle with cancer. Lovato revealed on Thursday that he suffered from a mental illness. It was previously reported she and her father were estranged for several years, but Lovato has a lot of compassion for her late father. "I've dealt with mental illness. My father dealt with mental illness," she said during an appearance on "Good Morning America." "He wasn't able to function very well in society." Lovato struggles with bipolar disorder, and has also previously discussed issues with self-harming and an eating disorder. The star used her TV appearance to announce she would be setting up a scholarship in her dad's honor to help one person at a time pay for mental illness treatment. "I'm working with Cast Recovery, a treatment center I've worked really, really closely with, and I have trust in their program," she said. The "X Factor" judge added that she and her father did not have a close relationship. A few weeks before he died, Patrick reached out to his daughter via Radar Online, telling the website he "just wanted his little buddy back". "My father and I didn't have the most ideal relationship," Lovato acknowledged during her TV interview. "But at the end of the day, he's still my dad. And I grew up with him, he was a wonderful person. And it's difficult. But I'm handling it OK." Lovato also paid tribute to her fans for their support during difficult times. "The best thing about my fans is they have stood by me for everything I've been through," Lovato said. "And this past week has been a rough week. I had incredible support from them." The star is keeping busy promoting her new single, "Made in the USA."