Demi Lovato's mother breaks silence, describes moment she learned the singer had overdosed: 'My heart just dropped'

Dianna De La Garza opened up in an interview with Newsmax TV on Tuesday.

September 19, 2018, 3:26 PM

Demi Lovato's mother is speaking out for the first time after her daughter received treatment at a Los Angeles-area hospital for a suspected opioid drug overdose.

In a Tuesday interview with Newsmax TV, Dianna De La Garza described the moment she heard the shocking news.

"It's still a really difficult thing to talk about," De La Garza admitted. "I literally start to shake a little bit when I start to remember what happened that day."

De La Garza said she began receiving texts from friends and family saying they heard the singer had overdosed. De La Garza then got a call from Lovato's assistant who confirmed the rumors, saying that "Demi overdosed" and was "conscious" but not speaking.

PHOTO: Dianna De La Garza (L) autographs her first novel to daughter Demi Lovato (R) during the book signing of her new book, "Falling with Wings" at Barnes & Noble at The Grove, March 8, 2018 in Los Angeles.
Author Dianna De La Garza (L) autographs her first novel to daughter and singer-songwriter Demi Lovato (R) during the book signing of her new book, "Falling with Wings" at Barnes & Noble at The Grove, March 8, 2018 in Los Angeles.
Brandon Williams/Getty Images

"My heart just dropped," De La Garza recalled. "I was in shock...I said, 'Is she OK?' She said, 'She's conscious, but she's not talking.' And so, I knew at that point that we were in trouble."

De La Garza and the family rushed to Lovato's side.

"She just didn't look good, at all," De La Garza explained. "She was in bad shape. But I said to her, 'Demi, I'm here. I love you.' And at that point she said back to me, 'I love you too.'"

On July 24, Lovato, 25, was transported by paramedics from her Hollywood residence to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, multiple sources told ABC News at the time.

A month later, Lovato broke her silence on social media for the first time since receiving treatment.

"I have always been transparent about my journey with addiction," Lovato wrote on Instagram. "What I've learned is that this illness is not something that disappears or fades with time. It is something I must continue to overcome and have not done yet.

"I will keep fighting," she added.

Demi Lovato arrives at the 2017 American Music Awards in Los Angeles, Nov. 19, 2017.
Danny Moloshok/Reuters

In March, Lovato appeared on "GMA," where she opened up about her battle with addiction and six years of sobriety.

"I think that the very first thing you have to do is admit that you have a problem and then you have to ask for help," Lovato said with De La Garza by her side. "You also have to know that it's possible. One of the reasons why I've stayed sober is because I want people to know that it is possible for you to get help and to recover."

Demi Lovato sat with her mom Dianna de la Garza on "GMA" to discuss her new memoir.
ABC News, FILE

In the lyrics of her latest single, "Sober," Lovato seemingly admits to a relapse.

Less than two months after the incident, De La Garza told Newsmax that her daughter is doing "really well."

"She's happy, she's healthy, she's working on her sobriety and she's getting the help she needs," De La Garza said. "That in itself encourages me about her future and about the future of our family."