Joshua Bassett Reveals The Traumatic Health Issue He Suffered Amid Olivia Rodrigo's Mega-Success
Olivia Rodrigo has had a massive breakout career in music, dominating every major chart and making history all at the same time. While the rising star has been basking in her recent success, her "High School Musical: The Musical: The Series" co-star Joshua Bassett hasn't. According to Billboard, Rodrigo's record-breaking smash hit "Driver's License" was released on January 8, 2021, and it spent eight weeks at No. 1 on Billboard's Global 200 chart. The record also surpassed 1 billion streams globally and was the most-streamed song of that year. And just like the rest of the world, which was closely watching the singer's rapid rise to the top, she, too, could not believe what was happening.
"I have to pinch myself every morning," Rodrigo said during an interview with SPIN. Although she was already known for her role on the popular Disney+ series, she had no idea she would experience the same success doing music, as well. "Since I'm new to the music industry, I didn't really ever think about charting," Rodrigo added. "I was like, 'Oh my gosh, wait, I'm next to all of my favorite artists. This is crazy. People must actually really like the song.'"
Bassett has been rumored to have dated Rodrigo in the past, so when "Drivers License" — a catchy, sad tune about missing someone after a breakup — dropped, crazed fans assumed the song was about him, and the online threats that ensued left him mentally and physically sick.
Joshua Bassett was hospitalized and diagnosed with septic shock
Joshua Bassett spoke to People about one of the scariest moments in his life. The "Better Nate Than Never" actor was at the center of public ridicule and, as a result, his health started to decline. "I was sleeping 16 to 20 hours a day," he told the outlet. "I couldn't even stand up for longer than 30 seconds." Bassett is also an artist, and just days after Olivia Rodrigo released "Driver's License," he dropped his single "Lie Lie Lie, " which only added fuel to the fire because fans took it as his way of responding to his co-star and rumored ex-girlfriend (although he claims it was not). With that came a lot of backlash and Bassett started to experience something more than anxiety. "I felt my heart literally failing."
That's when a producer rushed him to the hospital where doctors diagnosed the actor with septic shock. "The doctors were like, 'If you hadn't checked in within 12 hours, you would have died in your apartment,'" Bassett revealed. "It's wild that I was this close to taking another nap."
Despite the stress that followed his song release, according to Billboard, "Lie Lie Lie" debuted at No. 33 on the Emerging Artists Chart and the record garnered 3.7 million U.S. streams.