The younger half-sister of Disney Channel star Demi Lovato (their mother is former Dallas Cowboys cheerleader Dianna Hart), Madison De La Garza made her professional debut at the age of six playing herself on a variety show hosted by Lovato and Selena Gomez. The following year, De La Garza joined the cast of "Desperate Housewives" as Juanita Solis, the daughter of housewife Gabrielle (Eva Longoria) and her husband Carlos (Ricardo Antonio Chavira).
De La Garza's childhood weight issues inspired an ongoing plotline on "Desperate Housewives" and were a spur for Lovato to speak openly about her own struggles with both bulimia and teenage depression.