Wilmer Valderrama got his big break thanks to That '70s Show. His role of Fez may raise some eyebrows today, but it set him apart back in the late '90s. But it wasn't just his acting credentials that got him attention. It was also the fact that he seemed to have an in with plenty of young female celebrities.
The star, who's reportedly remained close with actor Ashton Kutcher, is currently engaged and just had his first child. The 41-year-old is currently dating model Amanda Pacheco. Rumor has it that he proposed just months after the two started dating. It's possible he was ready to finally settle down. Amanda is 11 years younger than Wilmer, recently turning 30.
While it's good to see he's settling down, it's still very interesting to note the people he's connected with over the years. One of the biggest celebrities on the list is Demi Lovato, who profiled much of her feelings toward Wilmer in her first documentary on YouTube. Now with a second coming out — and with Demi's struggles with addiction being less of an open secret — it's interesting to figure out how much of a role he really played in her life.
Demi and Wilmer started dating when she was 18 and he was 29. The relationship lasted for six years, so they were obviously quite serious about each other. However, even though Demi's been working since she was a kid, it's hard for any 18-year-old to be on the same wavelength as someone who's nearing 30.
Wilmer had another relationship with a young star early on — and that was Mandy Moore. The two met when she was just 15. Around the age of 16, they began dating. They were together for about two years, with Mandy revealing that Wilmer was her first real boyfriend. However, he ended up breaking her trust years later in an interview with Howard Stern. While Howard is popular for asking risqué and sometimes cringe-inducing questions, Wilmer had no trouble throwing Mandy under the bus when he appeared on the show.
The two first met at a photo shoot, and romance blossomed from there. As Wilmer told Howard Stern, he took Mandy's virginity. "The sex with Mandy was good, but it wasn't like warm apple pie," he told Howard, per E! News. Mandy was very upset about what was said, especially since she denies it was true. She responded, saying the comments he said were "utterly tacky, not even true and it hurt my feelings because I like him."
Like many of Wilmer's famous exes, Mandy claimed the two were still friends. In a way, that made the comments hurt even more. "He's a very good friend and that's why I was so shocked by it because not only was it a fib, but it was so unlike him, it was so uncharacteristic," she continued. "I remember in the moment he tried to explain it away that sort of he did get caught up, he maybe insinuated more than outright said it," she continued, adding that her rebuttal was, "No, you outright said it."
While many people make mistakes in interviews, this one was particularly salacious. It made it seem as if Wilmer had no respect at all for Mandy. That, or he wanted to take on the title of being Mandy's first, even if it wasn't true. It was a bad look then and, despite the fact that they talked it over, is still a bad look today.
She revealed that after the interview, her father lost respect for him. "I just remember my parents' reaction," Mandy said. "They were bummed. Don Moore, especially. My dad was like, 'What?! I liked that young man.' I'm like, 'Dad, I know.'"
Wilmer also dated Lindsay Lohan despite a big age gap. Rumor has it that the two started their romance when Lindsay was 17 years old and he was 24. That said, they only went official with the relationship to the public when Lindsay was of age.
The actor managed to get Lindsay a part on That 70's Show, but it reportedly didn't last long. At the time, Lindsay was hospitalized for exhaustion and had to be replaced. Wilmer also gabbed about Lindsay on Howard Stern, sharing some not-so-public details that should have been kept under wraps.
While he mentioned that Lindsay did not have implants, he did share that Lindsay was a fan of waxing her body hair — again, something that someone who had any respect for her wouldn't have shared.
It seems as if Demi was definitely his longest relationship. Much like with Lindsay, Wilmer met Demi when she was underage. The two have a 12-year age difference.
Initially getting together in 2010, the two had an up-and-down relationship. Through Demi's eyes, Wilmer was very supportive as she fought her battles with eating disorders and addiction. It was love at first sight for the singer.
"When I first met Wilmer he was 29," she said, per MamásLatinas. "I met him on January 11 of 2010. It was at a PSA shoot at his house for the 2010 census forms. To be honest, I only did it because I heard it was at his house and I thought he was really cute. I didn't really care about the census forms. But when I met him and I laid eyes on him for the first time I was in hair and makeup, and he came and sat down, I was like, 'I love this man and I have to have him.'"
Demi did credit Wilmer for her sobriety at times, which actually may have been detrimental. Because when they broke up, that may have given her less of a reason to stay sober. But at the time, she made it seem as if things were mutual and she needed to part from him as a favor to him.
"The sparks never faded, but there are issues that I haven't conquered yet that I know I won't conquer if I'm relying on somebody else to take care of the loneliness," she said in her YouTube documentary.
That said, while Demi initially envisioned the two being part of each other's lives no matter what, that didn't go to plan. "I’m really happy for him and I wish him nothing but the best, but we're not in each other’s lives, haven't spoken in a long time," she admitted to Harper's Bazaar back in May of 2020. "When you get into a relationship with somebody at that young of an age and then you spend six years with somebody, you don’t really get to learn about yourself."
It seems as if something more might have happened to cause the rift, as the two did an Instagram Live together in 2019. In it, Wilmer seemed supportive of Demi. It seems as if Demi wiped out all evidence of Wilmer on her Instagram, but Wilmer's account still holds pictures of her.
While fans will never know exactly what happened between the two, Demi's words about not being able to learn much about yourself when you date someone starting at the age of 18 is telling. Amanda Pacheco has around a 10-year age gap with Wilmer, but she was around 28 when they first got together. This relationship could definitely be the one — especially as they've just welcomed a daughter — but dating barely legal girls prior to this is something the entertainment world shouldn't completely dismiss.
"Life is an ever evolving journey, and for all those times when our path needs a light.. often angels are sent to show us the way and that we can be more.. straight out of heaven we welcome our first daughter," Wilmer said in his first post with his daughter, adding the hashtag of "It's Just Us 3 Now." He has yet to announce a name.
While he can't take back the comments he's said about his exes, hopefully he's grown from those experiences — and understands that it's not a good look to date women who are younger, fresh out of Hollywood, and more impressionable. Even if he had the best intentions at the time, his Howard Stern interview did make it seem as if he saw his past romances as conquests instead of humans, and that made it look as if he had other motives behind these hookups. His happiness now shouldn't erase the pain he caused in the past.
