Demi Lovato, the Dancing with the Devil star, took her Instagram account this week to call out a Los Angeles-based frozen yogurt shop called The Bigg Chill for carrying sugar-free varieties, saying it was “triggering” for her as a woman recovering from an eating disorder.
In an Instagram story posted on Sunday, she wrote: “Finding it extremely hard to order froyo from @TheBiggChillOfficial when you have to walk past tons of sugar-free cookies/other diet foods before you get to the counter. Do better please. #DietCultureVultures.”
The Big Chill defended itself on the shop’s Instagram Story as well, writing “We carry items for Diabetics, Celiac disease, Vegan and of course have many indulgent items as well.”
The company added “We are not diet vultures. We cater to all of our customers needs for the past 36 years. We are sorry you found this offensive.”
Unwilling to stand back with her criticism, the singer also said “You can carry things for other people while also caring for another percentage of your customers who struggle DAILY just to even step foot in your store.”
“You can find a way to provide an inviting environment for all people with different needs. Including eating disorders — one of the deadliest mental illnesses only second to opios [sic] overdoses. Don’t make excuses, just do better,” Lovato concluded.
But this time the store decided not to answer.
Later, on Monday, on an Instagram Live, she addressed the backlash she received for the exchange with the store. “I’m sorry that I may have got the messaging wrong. I’m sorry that I may have disappointed some people,” she said. She opened up about her struggles with eating disorders.
She explained that she messaged the store to make a point. “I wanted to call out behaviors or branding things that didn’t sit right with me. As someone who deals with an eating disorder and is in recovery from an eating disorder, I still to this day have a hard time walking into a froyo shop, ordering yogurt and being content with it and keeping it down.”
She continued saying that while she was in the store, she wasn’t entirely aware that certain “diet” and “health food” offerings were meant “for specific health needs.” Lovato added that because it wasn’t clear she jumped to conclusions, “and probably shouldn’t have gone about this the way that I have, but I’m willing to talk to this froyo shop to help get the messaging right.”
The Big Chilled continued icing her out, so Lovato messaged more marketing ideas.
“I was thinking, maybe it would help if you made it more clear that the sugar free options and vegan options are for that. Labeling the snacks for celiac diabetes or vegans. When it’s not super clear, the messaging gets confusing and being in LA it’s really hard to distinguish diet culture vs. health needs.”
Lovato said that a clearer messaging would be beneficial for everyone, and finally credited the store Chill for “catering to many different needs” but added it’s not about “excluding one demographic to cater to others.”
The store again left her on seen.
