Joshua Bassett is opening up like never before — not through music but poetry.
The 25-year-old actor/singer penned a poetry book called Rookie: My Public, Private and Secret Life, in which he got real about his mental health following his breakup drama with former High School Musical: The Musical: The Series co-star Olivia Rodrigo. In January 2021, the pop star dropped her debut single Drivers License about an ex-boyfriend who moved on with a “blonde girl.” Although Olivia didn’t name names, many suspected she was singing about Joshua and Sabrina Carpenter. And the pair faced a ton of backlash from Livies!
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Later that same month, he ended up being hospitalized for heart failure and septic shock. Joshua eventually recovered. However, as he writes in the poem “Mom, I think I’m Dying,” he was still struggling a lot behind the scenes with suicidal ideation amid the controversy:
“Though I walked out of the hospital miraculously healed, my road to recovery was far from a straight line. As my life fell apart, I spiraled into suicidal ideation, nearly killing myself with ketamine.”
In the poem, Joshua said he was at the “center of a social media firestorm” during his health scare. And once he left the hospital, he dealt with the pain by using drugs until he had “an encounter with God” one day:
“At rock bottom, I had an encounter with God that gave me the peace I’d sought all my life, redefining what matters most: not success or survival — but to love and be loved.”
Oof. We’re glad Joshua is seemingly in better place now. Reactions, Perezcious readers? Let us know (below).
If you or someone you know is contemplating suicide, help is available. Consider contacting the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988, by calling, texting, or chatting, or go to 988lifeline.org.
[Image via MEGA/WENN]