The series was announced by YouTube in June 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, saying that it would "showcase the singer's personal and professional journey over the last three years". Michael D. Ratner was announced as director the same day. The series, which is made up of four parts, is a follow-up to Lovato's 2017 YouTube Originals documentary, Demi Lovato: Simply Complicated. In January 2021, Lovato shared the title of the series in a social media post, exclaiming that "there has been so much that I've wanted to say" and she felt that this was the right way of doing so. Lovato stated that she wanted to "set the record straight" with the series and shed light on the overdose and what led to it. She also shared a desire to help others who are dealing with similar struggles and keep herself accountable moving forward, something she found to be is helpful during the 6 years of sobriety which she maintained prior to 2018. Lovato also said she experienced tremendous "growth" during her experiences, and was fundamentally eager to share that with others.
Lovato confirmed that not every topic will revolve around her substance abuse, and that the documentary goes beyond just her relapse and recovery, into previously unspoken traumas of her past as well as the music industry.
