Disney leading lad and singer-songwriter Joshua Bassett has been through it. When his HSMTMTS costar/ex-girlfriend Olivia Rodrigo dropped the megahit song “Driver’s License” and subsequent divorce album Sour in 2021 (the two were never married, but somehow, it qualifies), things took a marked downward turn for the young actor.
Since then, Bassett has faced near-fatal stress-induced heart failure, a coming out amidst massive social pressure, and a public split from post-Rodrigo girlfriend Sabrina Carpenter. Bassett has documented his season of trial and tribulations in his own music — which, aside from the occasional “Feel Something”, is largely downtempo and melancholy like last year’s Sad Songs in a Hotel Room EP.
Bassett recently told MTV that the number one question he gets from fans nowadays is: “Are you okay?” We get why.
As concerned as fans have been for his health and well-being throughout it all, a recent series of messages from the actor is bringing their worry to a new level.
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The first such flag was a tweet sent out a couple weeks ago, in which the actor wrote an abrupt, devoutly evangelical message with no context.
Bassett unilaterally stated that Jesus Christ is the only way:
This message from an LGBTQ+ figure who’d never publicly espoused such fierce religious views made some fear that he’d undergone some kind of Christian conversion therapy since ending his tour in December. However, the message came and went with such little follow-up that the lasting reaction ended up amounting to that video of Trisha Paytas going “Huh? What? Oh, okay.”
Related:
‘High School Musical’ star Joshua Bassett reveals years of sexual abuse
“I finally found the courage to speak up for myself.”
This past weekend, Bassett returned to his intensely religious messaging, this time taking to his Instagram Story to assure how ecstatic he now is in Christ.
Among his statement is the claim that he’s “first hand encountered Jesus twice”:
He also asserts that his former tweet saying that “Jesus Christ is the only way” caused the light in his living room to turn on when he typed it.
“For those concerned about me, be sure of this: I’m better than I have ever been,” he concludes. “The peace I feel is far beyond what I thought possible.”
Watching young, beloved LGBTQ+ figures turn hard into evangelicalism is nothing new; even just in recent years, fans have watched both Lady Gaga superfan Staten Harry and viral YouTuber Lohanthony reemerge as Christians and denounce their previous lives.
Related:
These gay Christians aren’t repressing themselves, they’re just engaging in “loving self-denial”
A growing number of gay Christian millennials are embracing what is being called the “Side B” movement.
While some are praising the star’s turn into The Light™, many are expressing confusion and fearing that the star is just facing repression and indoctrination:
Neoprene
Awwww. So nice to see the attention seeking, faux concern of these Twatters.
scotty
jesus isnt real, neither is god.
Mack
Yeah but for centuries they’ve been pushing this BS and unfortunately the unsuspecting gets caught up in the con.
basils_Herald
I only know what Bassett has said about his childhood publicly, but he has said he was abused as a child and we know he was home schooled. He definitely is more disconnected from society than your average 20-something but that could be a coping mechanism as much as it could be a toxic home life.
Terrycloth
June. BIeber is preaching religion Too.
must be the newest IN thing..although Beebs does a 10 minute rant in his concert about god / jesus etc then gets super mad the audience wont shut up and listen..play ypur little pop songs. Nobody paid tp hear your religious views. Same with this boy..sssh..keep it to yourself..you’ll lose your followers who don’t care
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Donston
The few times he’s spoken on his “queerness” he connected it to abuse and feeling like a victim. So, he was never really “proudly out”. While he also seemed to use being closeted and his past abuse for clout and as an excuse for a-hole behaviors. Ultimately, he seems like a young, damaged individual who’s dealt with/is still dealing with traumas, mental health struggles, toxic family dynamics, religious guilt, fluidity, contradictions, insecurities, resentments, internalized phobias, being unconfident with his place in the gender, sexual, affection, romantic, emotion, commitment spectrum. I do wish him well. But this is another example why we shouldn’t hype up everybody who “comes out” or attaches themselves to queerness and why we shouldn’t try to force people “out”. There are too many messy people and messy situations.
kevininbuffalo
Who does Joshua think he is? Doesn’t he know that the minute anyone comes out the LGBTQQIA+”community” owns your ass, both body and soul? Independent thought is not allowed. One must stick to the leftist, atheist Marxist line at all times. What a sad day it would be if LGBTQQIA+ encouraged independent thought. People might be able to lead a life that doesn’t revolve around their dicks. They might even be allowed to practice their religion in peace. Oh, the horror!
The queer community is really messed up.
Mack
Spoken like a true right wing dimwit.
Den
You have no idea what you are talking about. But then those with brains expect stupidity from the far right.
Queerty is hardly a bastion of “leftist, atheist, Marxist” folks, nimrod, nor could most of the folks commenting on Twitter be seen that way. Seems like you had not noticed though that the group most threatened and triggered by independent thought, or critical intellectual commentary, or scientific thought, or non-majority religious thought, or actual empathy for others…is the right wing. People. Like. You.
And it is a hoot to hear someone who sounds as if they need a mental health intervention (seriously) call a community they are obviously not at all familiar with “really messed up”.
Terrycloth
@ Donston. Sounds like what Arron.Carter went through. Although his was drug fueld..
Donston
I don’t think they’re that comparable. However, people who are in the pan/bi spectrum or contend with fluidity at different points in their life or deal with a lot of questioning when it comes to the gender, sexual, affection, romantic, emotion, commitment spectrum (even if they’re “straight” or “gay” presenting)- they are more likely to have been abused and are more likely to deal with depression, anxiety, self-destructive instincts, internalized phobias throughout their lives. Aaron seemed to be not all that into dudes and used “coming out” mostly for clout and a slight cry for help. Joshua seems more legit “queer”. But he also is clearly dealing with some stuff. It’s perfectly fine to be a religious out queer. However, constantly pushing the “go the Jesus” stuff almost always signifies homophobia, queer shaming, desperately using religion as a crutch to help you deal with all your other issues.
ChuckGG
Obviously, everyone wishes him the best and hopes he finds peace in his life. But, you have to admit, this story has been repeated countless times.
People get stressed by life, drugs, booze, money – something. And, they abandon those addictions for another addiction – religion. And, invariably, there is some preacher or organization behind it to tap into the financial resources of the new victim.
Well, to each his own. If this is the horse to which he chooses to hitch his wagon, I hope it works out for him. For most of the rest of us, it is yet another eye-roll.
Donston
Some people treat “queerness” as an addiction or crutch as well. Overindulging sex or “pride” to cover up their traumas, mental health struggles, insecurities. Drugs and religion are often another form of that. A lot of other things can be as well. While many people who are bi/pan or contend with fluidity or people who attach their queerness to trauma- some can never truly get past internalized phobias, queer resentments, gay insecurities.
SFMike
Just another groomer for Jesus.
Den
More likely he was worked on by groomers for Jesus, and as with Vampires or Zombies, has been transformed.
Chaucer
Unfortunately, it sounds like a bipolar episode with hyper religiosity.