Facebook/Mike Bayer
Mike Bayer was Demi Lovato’s sober coach. She fired him after accusing him of betraying her. TMZ reported that in early July, Lovato fired Bayer due to a “big falling out” the pair had. Lovato is said to be in stable condition following her overdose, which was initially reported to have been heroin. The drugs the singer took are still unknown, but it has been widely reported that Narcan was used to revive her. Narcan is typically used to reverse the effects of opioids.
It has been reported that Lovato was out celebrating her friend and backup dancer, Dani Vitale’s birthday, the night before the overdose.
US Weekly, in their report on Bayer and Lovato, says that the singer was seriously struggling with her sobriety before her overdose. A “source” told the magazine, “She would only maintain sobriety for a few days at a time before relapsing. She refused to go back to treatment [before her overdose.]”
Bayer and Lovato co-owned the CAST rehab facility together. Bayer first met Lovato in 2010 when she was 17 years old.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. There Were Reports that Problems Between Bayer & Lovato Arose When She Relapsed & Was Not Honest About it
On the same day that Bayer posted an Instagram vlog about his annoyance with celebrities. Afterward, Lovato tweeted, “Good luck on your blog.” Bayer did not mention Lovato by name in his video. The live coach said in part, “I worked in entertainment for many years being a life coach for a lot of different pop starts and actors, and my biggest pet peeve is when they use excuses because they call themselves ‘artists’. I’m here today to explain to you that being an artist and being talented are two different things. To me being an artist is living your authentic life. I believe everyone out there is an artist.”
GettyLovato and Bayer pictured together in September 2017.
Bayer continued, “I think if somebody uses it as an excuse to be late, or insincere, or rude, or unapologetic, that’s not being an artist. That’s being a jerk. And you shouldn’t stand for that.” People Magazine reports that Lovato began unfollowing Bayer on Instagram in June 2018. Radar Online reports that the problems between Bayer and Lovato arose when the singer relapsed into addiction and was not honest with her partners about it. The website says that Lovato was sad about being forced out of the foundation. A “source” told the website, “They are in a bitter dispute over money and branding.”
2. Lovato Said She Was Told to Contact Bayer After a Bad Mushroom Trip
In October 2016, Bayer told Entertainment Tonight that Lovato first sought his help after a “bad mushroom trip.” Bayer said, “We met after a bad mushroom trip. She asked for help and she had called her therapist and another person, both had said, ‘Call Mike Bayer.'” When Bayer went to her home that day and was greeted by Lovato saying, “I’ve sobered up and I’m like, ‘Well, f**k.” During the same interview, Bayer describes the CAST Centers as “really empowering people to be the best version of themselves.” Bayer said of Lovato, “Demi has done a complete 180. She’s the biggest pop star on the planet who talks about her issues in a public way. That is a miracle in the entertainment biz.”
3. Bayer Is on Dr. Phil’s Advisory Board
According to his official website, Bayer is a regular contributor to Dr. Phil’s number one rated daytime TV show. Known as “Coach Mike” on the show, Bayer is also a member of Dr. Phil’s advisory board which consists of “18 of the most accomplished and respected health care professionals in the country.”
Bayer’s official biography says that he has a B.S. degree in Alcohol and Drug Counseling from Metropolitan State University in Minnesota as well as being a California Certified Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselor (CADC II) as well as a Board Registered Interventionist (BRI II). Bayer would found the CAST Center in 2003 after a spell working at the Hazelden Foundation. Bayer is quoted as saying, “I learned that my purpose in life is to help others find the freedom to be their best selves.”
4. Bayer & Lovato ‘Bonded Over Their Mutual Desire to Help People’
GettyLovato and Bayer pictured in March 2017.
A feature on Bayer in the WEHO Times from July 2017 described how the sober coach first met Lovato in 2010 when the singer was 17 years old. The article reads that they “bonded quickly over their mutual desire to help people.” The piece refers to the pair as a “dynamic couple.” Since their public split, Lovato’s name has been scrubbed from the CAST Centers website. During an August 2016 blog post, Bayer wrote that he “saw a light” in Lovato when they first met.
5. Bayer Has Also Helped Joe Jonas With Issues
In October 2013, TMZ first pictured Bayer shadowing Joe Jonas. Their report had Bayer down as a new member of Jonas’ entourage. Lovato and Jonas were romantically linked together for an extended period of time. Jonas tweeted in support of Lovato following her overdose saying, “Like all of you I am thinking of @DDLovato right now. She needs our prayers and support. We all know how strong you are Demi. #prayfordemi.” A July 2017 Washington Post article detailed the help that Bayer gave Jonas regarding mental health. Bayer told the newspaper, “I think mental health can be like going to the gym and it can be sexy and fun.”