In 2021, Demi Lovato received one of the most unusual ovations of her career, represented by three beeps: they came from beyond the grave.
The singer was filming Unidentified with Demi Lovato, a Peacock series in which she traveled to different places across the United States, searching for evidence of extraterrestrial life and paranormal phenomena.
But in the second episode, the unexpected happened.
Demi traveled to Vulture City, an abandoned old mining town in the middle of the Arizona desert, accompanied by her best friend, Matthew Scott Montgomery, and paranormal investigator Chris Smith.
The group entered a building that had once apparently operated as a brothel and began using an electromagnetic field detector to try to communicate with a supposed entity they called “Carmen”. Each beep from the device was interpreted as a response.
Demi tried asking her about ghosts, UFOs, and “star people”, but Carmen seemed uncommunicative. Then a theory emerged: perhaps the presence of the two men in the room made her feel uncomfortable.
Matthew and Chris left the place so the singer could be alone with the supposed entity. She asked again: “Did you not want to say anything because the guys were here?”. The detector beeped immediately, and Demi thought she understood what was happening.
“I think I understand. She has trauma, so she doesn’t like men. I have trauma too, so I understand you”, she replied.
But the session became even stranger. After the detector seemed to indicate that Carmen liked music, Demi decided to sing for her.
The artist chose “Skyscraper”, one of her most emotional songs, and began performing it a cappella in the middle of the abandoned room.
When she finished, the device emitted three signals in a row.
“That’s the coolest standing ovation I’ve ever received!”, Demi celebrated, convinced that Carmen had enjoyed her performance.
The video went viral and split the internet between those who thought Demi had managed to connect with a presence from beyond the grave and those who suspected the whole scene had been staged for television. The show never proved that Carmen existed or that the beeps came from a spirit or an extraterrestrial.
Four years later, the singer herself offered a much less supernatural explanation.
During an interview with Trisha Paytas in 2025, Demi watched the memorable moment again and confessed with a laugh: “I was really high”. She explained that she used a lot of marijuana at the time and had avoided watching the show again for years because she felt embarrassed.
That doesn’t mean she has stopped believing in ghosts or extraterrestrials. Demi said she is still a very spiritual person and continues to believe in the paranormal, but now she is able to laugh at that version of herself.