Telling his side. Joshua Bassett released three new singles — “Crisis / Secret / Set Me Free” — on Friday, December 3, and fans are convinced he may have just reignited the Olivia Rodrigo “Drivers License” drama from earlier this year.
“As stated in ‘Set Me Free,’ ‘It’s been a f–king year,’” the High School Musical: The Musical: The Series actor, 20, shared in a statement following the songs’ release. “While it’s been one of the most challenging periods in my lifetime by far; it has ultimately led to immense growth.”
He continued, “I’ve been up, down and everywhere in between. Each of these songs pinpoint a different moment in time, in my processing.”
In January, Joshua seemingly became a part of a major rumored love triangle after his costar Olivia dropped her debut single, “Drivers License.” Following its release, fans were quick to speculate that the song was about a past rumored relationship between the songstress and Joshua — who played former onscreen couple Nini and Ricky in the show. After season 1 of the show premiered in November 2019, viewers were convinced that there was something romantic going on between them in real life. Although neither Olivia nor Joshua confirmed their rumored romance, fans continue to think that the “Drivers License” lyrics tell the story of their apparent split.
One theory, which has been widely speculated, is that Joshua split with Olivia and started dating Sabrina Carpenter. This particular theory came from the “Drivers License” lyrics that read: “And you’re probably with that blonde girl / Who always made me doubt / She’s so much older than me.”
Throughout 2021, Joshua, Sabrina and Olivia have fielded questions about the rumored drama. Olivia, for her part, declared during an interview with Billboard that the subject of the song is “really the least important part of the song.” While rumors regarding Joshua and Sabrina’s relationship status have continued to swirl, the two have never publicly confirmed if they’re more than friends. But when it comes to the past year of his life, Joshua is no longer holding back.
“I have a right to stand up for myself,” the “Lie Lie Lie” singer told GQ in November regarding his three-song release. In the interview, Joshua revealed that the three songs were written months ago, but “I finally found the courage to speak up for myself,” he explained. “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 f–king kill him.’ It’s hard to see that and then be living in New York and walking down the street.”
In one major bombshell moment, Joshua claimed that “[Rodrigo] hasn’t spoken to me since ‘Drivers License’ came out.” Olivia’s team did not immediately respond to J-14‘s request for comment regarding his comment.
“People don’t realize how long ago that was,” he said, appearing to reference his past with Olivia. “It’s not as recent as it seems. I’m a completely different person now. … I’m not here to expose people. It was eating me alive, and I couldn’t keep it in anymore.”
Scroll through our gallery for a complete breakdown of Joshua’s songs “Crisis / Secret / Set Me Free.”
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