Who Is 'Poot Lovato?' Demi Lovato's 'Imprisoned Twin Sister' And Her Iconic Photograph Explained

In 2015, Tumblr was beset with images of a washed-out scrungly looking person everyone seemed to be calling Poot Lovato. For someone not privy to the in-joke of the year, Poot appeared to be a deformed version of popular Disney channel actress and singer Demi Lovato.

But the image went far beyond a few jokes about a bad case of flash photography; it launched a Multiverse of Madness that still has repercussions today. Here's the lore on Poot Lovato, from inception to Poot Beiber.

Where Did The Image Of Poot Lovato Come From?

In November 2014, Demi Lovato sang at the Royal Variety Performance at the Palladium Theater. On her way to the theater, as they walked past a throng of photographers and fans alike, an unknown person held out their personal cell phone and snapped a picture of a grinning Demi Lovato. The photograph laid dormant for a whole year before being posted on the internet — but not without some unflattering edits being made to it.

How Did The Image Of Poot Lovato Turn Into A Meme?

The edited image of Demi Lovato went viral on Tumblr in 2015, with one person's fanart leading the initial charge for the image's popularity. The user posted the so-bad-its-good artwork in October 2015 as part of the "I have drawn you" trend, adding that they are Demi's biggest fan.

However, Poot Lovato only received her name after another Tumblr user took the initiative to flesh out her backstory. The user posted the image of Poot with the caption, "Demi’s twin sister. She was locked in a basement her whole life. This picture was taken the first time she went outside. Her name is Poot." After gaining over 80,000 notes, the user deleted their account, further mystifying Poot's mythos.

Who Is Poot Beiber?

A 2023 Tiffany & Co store opening gala led to a resurgence of the Poot Lovato meme after people started comparing Hailey Beiber to Poot. A TikTok video by @bleona showing a video of Hailey with a Poot-like haircut gathered 7 million views in just a day.

What Are Some Other Poot Lovato Memes?

People began to add to Poot Lovato's backstory by photoshopping her face into a number of different memes. "Poot Lovato for President" was a widely shared image, as were a number of Goofy edits.

For the full history of Poot Lovato, be sure to check out our entry on the meme here for even more information.