Joshua Revealed He Hasn't Spoken With Olivia Since She Dropped "Drivers License"

For the first time since the drama began, Joshua Bassett spoke about how he felt after his breakup with Olivia Rodrigo. Fans of the two Disney Channel stars can’t forget the drama between two, thanks to Rodrigo immortalizing the experience in her hit track “Drivers License,” and if you wondered how the High School Musical: The Musical: The Series star felt about it, he’s finally spilling the deets. Here’s why Joshua Bassett says he hasn’t talked to Olivia Rodrigo since “Drivers License” was released.

In a Friday, Dec. 3 interview with GQ, Bassett finally detailed some of his feelings about the media storm that followed Rodrigo’s hit “Drivers License” track. “I have a right to stand up for myself,” Bassett told the publication, obviously referencing his part in the Rodrigo breakup. The actor revealed that he felt helpless when “Drivers License” created a media storm of rumors surrounding their breakup and relationship details. “It sort of felt like a losing battle… If I try and defend myself in any way, it just felt impossible,” Bassett admitted. And although he says he’s wanted to talk to his ex since then, he revealed, “[Rodrigo] hasn't spoken to me since ‘Drivers License’ came out.”

Despite Rodrigo’s avoidance of Bassett, he admitted that her songs have followed him everywhere. “I would be on my way to sessions, and I would hear two songs on the same station in one Uber ride,” he said. There was also a moment he exited a coffee shop in summer 2021 due to her songs playing back-to-back. When he returned days later, he told the publication, an employee apologized to him.

When “Drivers License” was released in January, fans were quick to break down the meaning behind the song, with most Rodrigo stans blaming Bassett as the one who destroyed their relationship. Bassett told GQ he would often see viral TikToks that contained threats to his life.

Apparently, the singer coped by writing new songs around that time, but it was also due to his label’s advice to capitalize on the breakup. Nonetheless, Bassett waited to release them because he didn’t feel ready. Finally, after six months, the tracks “Crisis,” “Secret,” and “Set Me Free” were released on streaming services on Dec. 3. “I finally found the courage to speak up for myself,” Bassett revealed. Two of the songs reference the media fallout and the Rodrigo breakup.

Bassett also added that the past year had left him feeling unseen. “I feel like a lot of this last year people haven't seen me as a human being,” he said.

His new tracks, “Crisis” and “Secret,” have lyrics that position the relationship tale as opposite from Rodrigo’s and also claims she “sensationalize[d]” their split for publicity.

Whatever happened between the exes, it’s clear that Bassett no longer wants to stay silent about his part in the relationship.