Redeem now - Joshua Bassett opened up about his relationship with Olivia Rodrigo in a recent interview with GQ.
- He said Rodrigo hasn't spoken to him since "Drivers License" was released in January.
- "I'm not here to expose people. It was eating me alive, and I couldn't keep it in anymore."
Joshua Bassett opened up about his relationship with Olivia Rodrigo nearly one year after the release of "Drivers License," Rodrigo's debut single that was apparently inspired by their breakup.
Bassett recently told GQ that he's tried to get in touch with Rodrigo, but she "hasn't spoken to me since 'Drivers License' came out."
"People don't realize how long ago that was," he continued, seemingly referring to his relationship with Rodrigo. "It's not as recent as it seems. I'm a completely different person now."
Later in the interview, he added, "I'm not here to expose people. It was eating me alive, and I couldn't keep it in anymore."
The two musicians star as love interests in the Disney+ show "High School Musical: The Musical: The Series," which has been renewed for a third season.
Before Rodrigo's music career took off, many "High School Musical" fans had speculated that she and Bassett were dating in real life. They seemingly broke up in the summer of 2020, when Rodrigo teased a rough draft of "Drivers License" on Instagram.
Neither has ever confirmed they were romantically involved, and Rodrigo has declined to say who inspired the breakup songs on her debut album "Sour."
However, as GQ's Willa Bennett notes, Bassett's new single "Crisis" seems like a direct response to "Drivers License."
"Don't you ever wonder if I'm okay after all you put me through?" he sings in the chorus. "Half the shit you're saying's only half-true / Messing with my life as a career move."
Bassett told Bennett that he wrote the song about "all the crazy PR over the year."
He said he received death threats in the wake of "Drivers License," which became a surprise hit and topped the Billboard Hot 100 for eight weeks.
"I would see TikToks with like 50 million views and 10 million likes saying, 'If I ever see that kid on the street, I'm going to fucking kill him,'" Bassett told GQ, adding, "I finally found the courage to speak up for myself."
He also said he's "glad that it's taken this long" to release the song because addressing the situation sooner "sort of felt like a losing battle."
Bassett released two additional songs on Friday: "Set Me Free," which he said was inspired by processing trauma in his childhood, and "Secret," a scathing song about a lying ex.
The "Secret" music video features a blond actress who resembles Sabrina Carpenter, another Disney star whom Bassett reportedly dated after Rodrigo. Bassett is credited as a creative director alongside Sarah Carpenter, Sabrina's older sister.
In his interview with GQ, Bassett confirmed that he's currently single, describing his dating life as "non-existent."
When asked if he's open to falling in love, Bassett replied, "No, I'm not at the moment."
"Ultimately, being in a relationship is a responsibility. I don't know if I'm ready for that. I've only had three [relationships], despite what it seems," he said, adding, "I think that's something that's been good about this last little bit: I'm good on my own. I don't need somebody else."
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