
Joshua Bassett was hospitalized for heart failure and septic shock in 2021. The singer and High School Musical: The Musical: The Series actor was at the center of rumors that Olivia Rodrigo's song Drivers License was about him. Bassett told GQ that he initially brushed off the rumors because he didn't have any energy to focus on anything but staying alive. The intense anger directed towards Bassett in the days following the release of Drivers License had a grave effect on him, leading to his hospitalization.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Reason for hospitalisation | Heart failure, septic shock |
| Possible cause | Stress |
| Surgery | Yes |
| Length of hospital stay | 9 days |
| Date of hospitalisation | January 2021 |
| Date of song release | 14 January 2021 |
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What You'll Learn

Joshua Bassett suffered heart failure
Joshua Bassett, the 20-year-old singer-songwriter and High School Musical: The Musical: The Series star, was hospitalised for heart failure and septic shock in 2021. Bassett was admitted to the hospital days after the release of Olivia Rodrigo's smash-hit "Drivers License", which was rumoured to be about her supposed breakup with Bassett. As a result of the song's success, Bassett and his rumoured new partner, Sabrina Carpenter, were harassed and threatened by fans, who also speculated that the alleged new couple were releasing their own songs in response to the hate.
Bassett told People that he underwent a lot of stress and eventually started feeling ill. He experienced symptoms such as sleeping 16 to 20 hours a day and not being able to stand for more than 30 seconds. He initially thought he had food poisoning, but his condition turned out to be much more serious. Bassett said he "felt his heart literally failing" and realised that it wasn't just anxiety. He was diagnosed with septic shock and heart failure, and doctors told him that his illness could have been brought on by stress.
Bassett spent nine days in the hospital and physically recovered, but he continued to struggle with panic attacks and depression. He told People that he was ""even more depressed and stressed" after leaving the hospital and had a panic attack every single day. Bassett has since found solace in therapy and mindfulness practices like meditation and yoga, which have helped him process his childhood sexual abuse. He is now in a better place and is focusing on helping others find peace through music, charity, and other projects.
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He was also diagnosed with septic shock
Joshua Bassett was hospitalised in January 2021, on the same day as the release of his single "Lie Lie Lie". The singer and High School Musical: The Musical: The Series actor initially believed he had food poisoning, but his health rapidly deteriorated, and he was eventually diagnosed with septic shock and heart failure.
In the week leading up to his hospitalisation, Bassett experienced extreme fatigue, sleeping 16 to 20 hours a day and being unable to stand for longer than 30 seconds. He also felt his heart "literally failing". Recognising the severity of his symptoms, Bassett asked to be taken to the hospital, where he was diagnosed with septic shock. Doctors informed him that his illness was likely brought on by stress and that if he had not sought medical attention within 12 hours, he would have died.
Bassett underwent emergency surgery and physically recovered within nine days. However, he continued to experience panic attacks and depression. Bassett credits therapy, mindfulness practices like meditation and yoga, and his meditation practice for helping him process his childhood trauma and improve his mental health.
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This was possibly due to stress
Joshua Bassett was hospitalized in January 2021 for heart failure and septic shock. This came after the release of Olivia Rodrigo's song "Drivers License", which was rumored to be about her supposed breakup with Bassett and his subsequent relationship with Sabrina Carpenter. Bassett faced intense public scrutiny and cyberbullying from fans, which took a toll on his mental and physical health.
In the days leading up to his hospitalization, Bassett experienced extreme fatigue, sleeping up to 20 hours a day and struggling to stand for more than 30 seconds. He initially brushed off the symptoms, thinking it was anxiety or food poisoning. However, as his condition worsened, he realized it was something more serious. Bassett shared his experience in an interview, reflecting on the stress he underwent due to the public hate and speculation surrounding his personal life. He stated that his health crisis was possibly brought on by stress, and doctors confirmed that his illness could have been stress-induced.
The singer-songwriter spent nine days in the hospital, physically recovering from the septic shock and heart failure. However, upon his release, he continued to struggle with panic attacks and depression. Bassett shared that he found solace in therapy, mindfulness practices like meditation and yoga, and processing his childhood sexual abuse. He also mentioned that he was taking time for himself and focusing on helping others find peace through his music and charity work.
While some fans speculated that the timing of his song "Lie Lie Lie," released six days after "Drivers License," was a response to Rodrigo, Bassett clarified that it had been long-planned and was not related. He expressed his gratitude for the support he received during his health crisis and shared his determination to spread positivity through his work.
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He underwent emergency surgery
Joshua Bassett was hospitalised in January 2021 for septic shock and heart failure. He underwent emergency surgery and reassured fans that he was "feeling much better" and "on the mend". Bassett had initially believed he had food poisoning, but his condition turned out to be far more serious.
The singer-songwriter's health crisis came amid intense media speculation about his relationship with fellow musician Olivia Rodrigo. Rodrigo's hit song "Drivers License" was rumoured to be about her breakup with Bassett, and his subsequent decision to move on with Sabrina Carpenter. Bassett's own song "Lie Lie Lie", released six days after "Drivers License", was assumed to be a response to Rodrigo's track.
The intense public scrutiny and online trolling took a toll on Bassett's mental and physical health. He experienced stress, anxiety, and panic attacks, eventually leading to heart failure and septic shock. Bassett revealed that he felt his "heart literally failing" and knew it was "not just anxiety". He described his health crisis as a near-fatal health crisis, and the doctors told him that if he "hadn't checked in within 12 hours, [he] would have died".
Following his emergency surgery, Bassett took time to focus on his recovery. He turned to therapy, mindfulness practices like meditation and yoga, and a meditation practice to help him heal and process his childhood trauma. Bassett also worked on new music during this period, writing a trio of revealing songs: "Crisis", "Secret", and "Set Me Free". However, he decided to hold off on releasing the songs until December to avoid fuelling further rumours and speculation.
Bassett's health scare served as a turning point, leading him to seek therapeutic outlets and focus on helping others find peace.
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He was in the hospital for nine days
Joshua Bassett was in the hospital for nine days. He was admitted for heart failure and septic shock, which he believes was brought on by stress. This stress was caused by the public's negative reaction to his song “Lie Lie Lie”, and the release of Olivia Rodrigo's “Driver's License”, which was rumoured to be about Bassett and their supposed breakup.
In the week leading up to his hospitalisation, Bassett says he felt worse and worse every day. He was sleeping 16 to 20 hours a day and couldn't stand for longer than 30 seconds. He initially brushed off the rumours, as he "didn't have any energy to be able to focus on anything but staying alive". However, he eventually asked to be taken to the hospital, where he was diagnosed with septic shock and heart failure.
Bassett physically recovered after nine days in the hospital, but he was still dealing with panic attacks and depression. He told People that he was "even more depressed and stressed" and "had a panic attack every single day". He also said that he was focusing on helping others find peace: "My mission is to bring light to people and help them find their peace. That's all I ever want to do, truly."
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Frequently asked questions
Joshua Bassett was hospitalised for heart failure and septic shock.
Bassett's hospitalisation was likely due to stress. This followed the release of Olivia Rodrigo's "Drivers License", which was rumoured to be about their breakup.
Bassett revealed that he initially thought he had food poisoning. He also shared that he was sleeping 16 to 20 hours a day and couldn't stand for more than 30 seconds, which led to his diagnosis.
































