Demi Lovato is thankfully still in rehab and will be for some time after a near fatal overdose late last month. One of her friends administered the rescue drug Narcan and she survived and was rushed to hospital. It’s been unclear up until now what Demi took, although her people insist it wasn’t heroin. We know now what she took because the guy who supplied her drugs, Brandon Johnson, told the paparazzi during an impromptu street interview. Apparently Johnson got the pills from Mexico and they weren’t typical pharmaceutical opioids, they were likely laced with fentanyl, although he’s unsure about that. Johnson warned Demi that they were “aftermarket” and not pharmaceutical pills, but she took them anyway. Here’s what he told TMZ, and he even dished about having a sexual relationship with her. You can see the video there. He’s wasted and he’s a dirtbag.
When you first started hanging out with Demi was it as friends?
It was a flirty friendship but nothing more. It kind of grew into more of a sexual friendship. You know, we were just hanging out. Later on in the relationship we messed around. For the most part we were just friends.When she texted you at 4 in the morning was it for you guys to hook up, hang out?
She texted me at 4 o’clock in the morning because she’s a girl and she wanted to kick it.What happened that night?
We hung out, we watched our detective shows. She sometimes has such long days, stressful hours. Unwind a little bit.Did she know what she was taking that night?
100% she knew what she was taking. I disclosed to her that these are not pharmaceutical, they’re aftermarket pills. They’re much stronger. She understood fully. It was unfortunate what happened, but for people to think that there was any misconception on my behalf is absolutely ridiculous. I’m not here to hurt anybody.Was there fentanyl mixed with that?
I’m not sure what was mixed with that to tell you the truth… When I was with her she was fine, the whole time.When I showed up she was a little drunk. Nothing out of the ordinary.
When you left was she asleep?
It happens all the time. We hang out, we do whatever she needs to do and she ends up passing out. It was already 7, 8 o’clock at that time. So she passed out and I leave as I normally do.Was it a wakeup call?
It definitely opened my eyes to the dangers of these drugs. They’re fun but in the wrong hands they can be harmful. I hate to hurt anybody. I’m not trying to hurt my friend.
First of all, didn’t this guy just incriminate himself? He basically admitted to giving the drugs to Demi which resulted in her overdose. It’s doubtful he’ll have any repercussions though. Also, doesn’t it go against drug dealer code to reveal your clients, especially when you’re dealing to the rich and famous? He’s an idiot but I guess that line of work doesn’t attract the best and brightest. Maybe he’s just a garden variety hanger-on who happens to have drugs. That would explain why he spilled so easily. Also, Brandon didn’t give Demi the Narcan according to what he told TMZ. Someone else close to her did that and saved her life. No wonder her people want to keep her away from influences like this. Scum. Bag.
Photos are screenshots from TMZ and also credit: Getty
Why won’t this guy be arrested?
What a total loser.
If he actually is a dealer (and not just some loser hanger-on with access) he should be less worried about being arrested and more worried about being dead. Higher-ups won’t take kindly to loose lips. Seriously hasn’t he at least seen Narcos on Netflix?
All joking aside though, after this I wouldn’t be surprised if he “ODs” in the near future.
LOL that’s TV crap. I defend drug dealers on all levels of it for a living; no one in the trade would give a crap about him talking about giving her pills. Now if he were telling them the locations of farms or stock houses or the routes of trap vehicles, then there’d be a problem.
Pretty sure this guy was already arrested and is out on bail?
He sounds like just a casual friend with benefits who also happens to have drugs handy in his pocket. A serious dealer would be more careful, I would assume.
Man, F TMZ.
They are clearly exploiting him (don’t get me wrong he is a POS), because they’ve run out of shit to run on Demi while she is in rehab.
Who is still giving these assholes clicks? Jesus.
Yes a real dealer would NEVER give an on camera interview to TMZ, even one who was out on bail. He was her go between with a dealer.
I think he is one of the “friends” celebrities with addictions may have: probably he is one of her enablers, someone who takes advantages of her money and her drugs.
I’m sure for some the only way they could ever hang out with celebrities is by hooking them up with drugs. Can’t imagine this guy has any other redeeming qualities.
This is such a sad read. I really hope she can recover and get these “friends” out of her life. With friends like these eh?
Yeah, exactly. It struck me as so sad, too. What a scumbag.
Absolute scumbag. To argue your point however, drug dealers are usually some of the smartest individuals you will ever meet. Sad but true.
Fair point. Not this guy though.
Really? I’ve never known any (or at least known what they did, I should say).
I’ve met several drug dealers (dont’ ask), and while they may have been naturally smart at some point in their lives, they had fried their brains on too many drugs to be considered smart any longer.
Original – I think there are two types of dealers, those who indulge themselves (and fry their brains) and those who are in it for the $$ and are careful about what they put into their own bodies. Some are, indeed, super smart.
I’ve clearly only met the ‘fried” brain variety! I can see how the smart ones move up though
Enough Already
I agree they’re smart because they obsess and educate themselves in their chosen “profession.” However, overall they are morons. The knowledge is rarely retained long term. They only understand by memorization. Not understanding IMO.
We can all agree this dude is an idiot.
The one I knew ran one hell of a business out of his apartment. It’s a shame that it was marijuana and not something legal because he was a fantastic entrepreneur. Marketing, accounting, sales, recruitment, management, etc. He really did it all.
Awesome comments. Agree this dude is more than a little fried. The slow boat comes across even in print. There seems to be something pathetic about him though. I wonder why people turn to drugs as opposed to alcohol, gambling, cigarettes etc. it’s so sad how much havoc it wreaks.
Def think there are two types of dealers – users who get asked to parties because they have extra to sell and empire builders who run their illegal enterprise like a well-oiled machine. I know this is anecdotal but I once knew a woman who was the toast of society in Raleigh, NC. Gorgeous, well-connected and independently wealthy. We had acquaintances in common (plus she had the hots for my uncle lol). Long story short she confided her backstory to me. She grew up the indulged only daughter of a cop in Maryland. He commited suicide when she was 13 and by 16 she was selling drugs. Ten years later she had her own street teams and had moved on to importing. After her first million she began opening salons, barber shops and eventually a Baskin-Robbins franchise. By the time she moved to NC she had changed her name to her mother’s maiden name, moved into a gated community and begun contributing to campaigns. She is the main reason young people don’t believe you when you tell them drugs is a dead end.
he sounds like a shite person, and gross to be talking like this about her.
I think he definitely did incriminate himself. (And I thought kiss and tells are low..)
Yeah why even go there? With any of this, really. What a dirt bag.
I hope Demi can stay far far away from this POS and maybe the fact he spoke publicly, while it was in incredibly violating, is a blessing in disguise for her so she never calls upon him and his “services” ever again.
So…he’s unconcerned about being arrested??
Whew, white privilege and arrogance is wild.
His skin color has nothing to do with his actions, state and role…If you must though, color him douche.
B – you might not be comfortable ID’ing this as white privilege, but don’t you remember that meme about a year ago about the craziest sh*t white people have done without getting arrested? This guy literally gave an interview where he admitted to felonious behavior that nearly killed someone. If this isn’t the epitome of privilege AND douchery, I don’t know what is.
Hi Killjoy. The way most laws are written, they have to catch him with drugs on him to arrest him, and it has to be weight to sell or it’s just a simple possession charge. I can stand on the street corner and tell everyone walking by that I’m a crack dealer (I’m not) but unless the cops catch me selling it or catch me with intent to sell weight, they can’t do anything. What is white privilege is he might not be put under surveillance to try and catch him.
Also important to note that black men are arrested and searched for drugs at a higher rate than white men although studies have shown the usage and possession is actually similar.
Heather – I’m an attorney who has worked in both public defense and prosecution. If authorities wanted to prosecute someone for possession based on witness statements, they could. I would agree that it’s uncommon, but it’s not actually written into any laws that I know of that physical evidence is the only way to prosecute someone for selling or possessing drugs. It’s more of a lowest-hanging fruit sort of practice. What is increasingly common is having social media used against defendants in court.
I don’t know if that’s as much white privilege as it is sheer stupidity…..
A sad window into Demi’s situation. Will there never be proper investigation, oversight and regulation of child entertainers? Her story is too familiar.
Jesus, what an absolute cockwaffle. “Let me use my drug buyer’s OD as an excuse for face time.” Go away, loser.
I dont like this guy anymore than any of you do, but let’s not pretend Demi is some innocent flower who is unable to resist the influence of the big bad wolves around her…
She’s an addict and as such, likely was seeking out such ppl. Not only to buy drugs, but for their company as well. Addicts, once deeply embedded enough in their addictions, tend to avoid social contact with “normies” and instead surround themselves with other drug users and dealers.
She alone is responsible for her actions and decisons.
I know, right? She’s an adult, and she made the decision to associate with this guy. I’m tired of the narrative of blaming everyone around her.
For real. He’s definitely scum for talking about this on camera while she’s in rehab but why should we have more sympathy for Demi being an addict than this guy? Because she’s famous? She’s lied to everyone for years, been a bully to anyone she even thinks breathes incorrectly, etc. but we should have more sympathy for her than this guy.
Whether we like it or not, this dude also has family that loves him and wants him to get better. His fam just doesn’t have the benefit of a team and money to make stuff happen.
Also, TMZ is so gross. Sought this guy out, dude is probably high as a kite and barely knows where he is and they’re trying to get info from him. Addiction is very complicated, TMZ doesn’t need to be adding to it.
@HelloSunshine
To be completely honest, I think seeking out another drug addict to get information about a celebrity’s drug overdose wouldn’t even register in the top 20 grossest things TMZ has done. I enjoy celebrity gossip like everyone else but their violations of other people’s privacy are beyond indecent.
Is she really any better though? In my eyes, not really. Just because she is pretty and famous and has a team to cover up the “real” Demi? It easy to get high and mighty and call him a scum bag. I’m quite sure this is the regular company she kept and she hasn’t been truly sober for a long time, if ever. The overdose just exposed how fake she really is.
I’m trying to understand your comment, but it reads like victim blaming.
Demi might have her own issues that do not translate to her on stage persona. Like everyone. But she is not dealing drugs that she’s unsure about to people looking to escape the pain in their lives.
Demi has responsibility in this. As does he. If his story is indeed true- at the end of the day she took the pills. She needs to deal with that and get help. He obviously needs help as well. The idea of taking pills with unknown ingredients is sickening to me. It shows a complete lack of respect / care for your body & life. A desperation that makes me sad for anybody in this position. F$ck drugs.
Is this victim blaming? Who exactly is Demi the victim of in this scenario? The person she called to her apartment to buy drugs from? I think what Honey bear is saying is that someone pretty and famous and high is no better from some high nobody TMZ informant drug dealer. Fair point.
I would argue, however, that people are calling this guy a scum bag not because he’s a drug dealer, but because he is milking his notoriety by revealing intimate information about a famous and vulnerable person’s life to the tabloids.
Demi is a person in pain looking for the escape. With enablers that prey on the vulnerable. You can say she had free will and should be accountable, but to those that have been there. You suffer. And when you suffer you’re not in control in a rational sense. You’re blindly feeling your way out of darkness.
She should be accountable to choosing this path, but more than that IS victim blaming
The overdose just exposed how sick she is. Yes, it’s a choice to use dangerous drugs, just like it’s a choice to get drunk, starve yourself to the weight of a child, make yourself throw up the things you eat, abuse diet pills, exercise yourself to an extreme, cut into your own flesh, burn yourself, or attempt suicide. But most of those things are usually connected to mental illness and all of those things mean a person isn’t doing well. To turn those situations into a “Ha, this person is so fake and beneath me. I’m living for this downfall!” moment would be about as cruel as taking a model or actress relapsing in her eating disorder as an opportunity to revoke her feminist card and make fun of her for being ‘vain’ enough to hurt herself. We can acknowledge that adults are responsible for their own unhealthy choices but also have sympathy for them.
This ‘drug dealer’ being an addict or not being ‘pretty’ has nothing to do with it (For whatever it’s worth, to me he’s a scruffy average-looking guy on drugs at worst, to slightly cute at best). Hopefully he gets help some day too. The problem is that he’s exploiting someone else’s suffering for personal gain, without her consent, at a time where she’s in a vulnerable place psychologically and emotionally.
I don’t think the fact that she overdosed speaks to how sick she is. Plenty of casual and occasional users overdose, especially with the increasing amounts of fentanyl and carfentanyl found in a wide variety of street drugs. You don’t have to be an addict to overdose.
For just casual users I would agree. But she’s an addict and had been struggling with her sobriety before the overdose.
Really glad he spoke out.
This is the reality of drug use.
Blind items from months ago said she was having sex with him regularly to get access to drugs.
Blind items are fake.
Demi wouldn’t have to sleep with him for drugs. Access is easy for most. As long as there’s money.
Count me as one that’s glad he talked. It sheds light on this situation and what must be many other situations. He’s not a small potatoes dealer, either. He was busted recently with quite the drugs/weapons cache and he’s always this brazen. His IG is full of incriminating photos. He seems to see himself as above the law, which for me, begs the question: Is he? Is it possible that the Hollywood elite client list he has will keep him out of trouble enough to keep their supply coming? Things that make you go hmm….
What a dummy. “They’re fun but in the wrong hands they can be harmful.” Like, in the hands of anyone doing them, thinking they know what they’re doing? Isn’t that what just happened. Dude says it was a wake up call, but it sure doesn’t sound like it.
If I remember correctly, she was photographed in and out of clubs with Bella Thorne. The company you keep, etc.
That’s why I don’t believe in “partial sobriety”, it never seems to work with addict personalities, you have to truly abstain.
He’s not a drug dealer just a loser “friend” I am reading Dopesick and I think most dealers don’t do the drugs they sell and he said he got them from Mexico I am sure people drive down and get those all the time. Just like buying stuff online usually from China just bad…
such an obvious ploy to convince everyone that it wasn’t heroine. pure and simple. like heroine!