‘Camp Rock’ Star Demi Lovato Turns Villainous as Cruella de Vil for Halloween

Demi Lovato has long treated Halloween like a second stage. Fans have come to expect something bold from the singer every October, whether it is a meme-inspired recreation or a character with plenty of glam. This year, she picked one of the most stylish villains in Disney history.

Lovato’s Halloween streak has earned her a nickname online. After a Poison Ivy-inspired look in a past year, which featured a green bodysuit covered in leaves and a red headpiece, fans began calling her the Halloween Queen. In 2025 she also made headlines by recreating her viral “Poot Lovato” meme for the holiday.

Now the Demi Lovato Cruella costume is making the rounds, and it delivers the full black-and-white drama. In a mirror selfie, she wears a sleek black bob, a bold red lip, a smoky eye and a Dalmatian-print fur coat draped over her shoulders. Underneath is a glossy black strapless dress with a high slit, and she completes the look with long red gloves and a cigarette holder.

Demi Lovato looks stunning as Cruella for Halloween 🎃 👻 https://t.co/FnEWvuQKvb

— Demi Base (@DemiBase_) October 31, 2026

The costume leans on the signature elements that make Cruella instantly recognizable. Costume guides point to the same essentials: a dramatic fur coat, long red gloves, a bold red lip and sharp, arched makeup. Lovato adds a modern twist with the latex dress, which gives the old-Hollywood villain a more current edge.

The setting adds to the mood. She poses in front of a blue wall with deep teal curtains, framed by the curved edge of a sculptural mirror. The red phone in her hand matches the gloves, tying the whole palette together. Her hair is also a departure from the classic two-tone style, with a dark bob standing in for Cruella’s famous black-and-white shock.

Cruella de Vil is one of Disney’s most celebrated villains. She ranks at number 39 on the American Film Institute’s list of the greatest heroes and villains, and her wardrobe has been a Halloween favorite since the 1961 animated classic. Retailers now stock whole sets of the character’s coat, gloves and wig for fans who want to recreate her.

Glenn Close made the live-action version famous in ‘101 Dalmatians’ in 1996 and again in ‘102 Dalmatians’ in 2000. For Halloween in 2020, she recreated her costume at home and shared instructions for fans hoping to do the same. Emma Stone later took on the role in the 2021 prequel ‘Cruella’, and costume designer Jenny Beavan tipped her hat to Close’s haute couture look in the film.

Lovato’s take sits somewhere between Close’s glamorous original and the edgier, punk-inspired approach of the prequel. The latex dress and sleek bob lean into a fashion-forward sensibility, while the fur coat and gloves keep the character recognizable. It is a reminder that Cruella is flexible enough to work in many different styles.

That flexibility is part of why the villain remains such a popular costume choice. Fashion roundups this year have described Cruella as the queen of villain glam, with attitude, dramatic fur and red gloves at the center of the look. Lovato delivers all of that with her own modern spin.

The costume lands during a busy stretch for the singer. Her ninth studio album, ‘It’s Not That Deep’, arrived on October 24, 2025, and a deluxe edition followed on April 24, 2026. She then toured the album across North America from April to May 2026 on a 23-date run that marked her first major headlining tour in three years.

Singer Adéla joined her as special guest on all 23 shows, well before her own breakout this fall. The tour celebrated Lovato’s return to high-energy dance-pop, which she has called PopVato. The playful spirit of that era fits her approach to Halloween, where she is clearly happy to have fun with her image.

For anyone looking for last-minute inspiration, the Cruella look is easy to adapt. A fur coat, red gloves and a bold lip carry most of the character, and extras like a cigarette holder or Dalmatian prop add personality. Lovato’s version shows that a classic villain can be reworked with modern fabrics and styling without losing what makes it work.

With the holiday over, her look will likely stay in the conversation among celebrity costumes this year. It also adds another chapter to her reputation as one of the most dependable Halloween dressers in pop.

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