Joshua Bassett Relationships: Exes, Timeline, and Facts

The love triangle between Joshua Bassett, Olivia Rodrigo, and Sabrina Carpenter is one of pop culture’s most talked-about mysteries — yet none of the three have ever confirmed the timeline. Here’s what public records and sightings tell us.

Occupation: Actor, Singer ·
Known for: High School Musical: The Musical: The Series ·
Debut EP: Crisis / Secret / Set Me Free (2021)

Here’s a quick reference for Joshua Bassett’s official biography from credible sources.

Who are Joshua Bassett’s exes?

When fans ask about Joshua Bassett’s exes, the list almost always narrows to two names: Olivia Rodrigo and Sabrina Carpenter. While neither relationship was officially confirmed by the parties, public sightings, song releases, and social media clues have led most media outlets to treat them as fact. Here’s what the evidence shows.

Olivia Rodrigo

• Co-starred in HSMTMTS from 2019, playing on-screen love interests (People (celebrity news outlet))
• Rumored to have dated between early 2020 and mid-2021 (Cosmopolitan UK (lifestyle and entertainment magazine))
• Rodrigo’s song “drivers license” (January 2021) sparked widespread speculation that it was about Bassett (Billboard (music industry publication))

The pattern: a classic Hollywood romance that began on set, fueled by fan shipping and ambiguous social media posts. The implication: despite the intense public interest, the two have never explicitly confirmed or denied the relationship.

Sabrina Carpenter

• First linked by dating rumors in summer 2020 (People (celebrity news outlet))
• Photographed together at a Black Lives Matter protest in June 2020 (Us Weekly (celebrity news magazine))
• Released song “Skin” in January 2021, widely interpreted as a response to “drivers license” (People (celebrity news outlet))

The trade-off: Carpenter’s involvement added a third angle to the narrative, turning a two-person rumor into a full love triangle. But no participant has fully confirmed the timeline.

Other rumored exes

No other confirmed romantic partners have been publicly linked to Bassett beyond Rodrigo and Carpenter. Fan speculation occasionally surfaces, but without credible sources or sighting evidence, those remain unsubstantiated.

The catch: the lack of official confirmation means the “exes list” is essentially a list of rumored partners, not a verified biography. This is a key distinction for anyone seeking a factual account.

How long did Olivia Rodrigo and Joshua Bassett date?

Most sources agree that the rumored relationship between Rodrigo and Bassett spanned roughly from early 2020 to mid-2021. The exact start and end dates are unconfirmed, but the timeline can be reconstructed from public events.

How they met

• Both were cast in High School Musical: The Musical: The Series in 2019 (People (celebrity news outlet))
• On-screen chemistry led to off-screen dating rumors after the show’s release in November 2019 (Cosmopolitan UK (lifestyle and entertainment magazine))

Relationship timeline

• Early 2020: Rumors heat up with social media interactions and matching jewelry (Cosmopolitan UK (lifestyle and entertainment magazine))
• June 2020: Bassett and Carpenter are seen together, marking a potential shift (Us Weekly (celebrity news magazine))
• January 2021: Rodrigo releases “drivers license”, with lyrics referencing a breakup and a “blonde girl” (Billboard (music industry publication))

Breakup reason

No official reason has been given. Rodrigo has said in interviews that she doesn’t know Sabrina Carpenter “at all” (Us Weekly (celebrity news magazine)), suggesting the love triangle narrative was largely fan-driven. The most common speculation is that the relationship ended because of growing apart, with Bassett allegedly moving on to Carpenter.

What this means: without direct confirmation, the breakup reason remains the most speculative part of the timeline. The song “drivers license” is the only primary source, and it’s art, not autobiography.

What happened to Sabrina Carpenter and Joshua Bassett?

The relationship between Carpenter and Bassett is the most publicly documented of the rumored pairings, thanks to multiple sightings and song releases.

How their relationship started

• First spotted together at a Black Lives Matter protest in June 2020 (Us Weekly (celebrity news magazine))
• Bassett released “Anyone Else” in July 2020, a song many fans interpreted as being about Carpenter (People (celebrity news outlet))
• Halloween 2020: They posted Sharkboy and Lavagirl themed content, which fans saw as a soft confirmation (People (celebrity news outlet))

The love triangle controversy

When “drivers license” dropped in January 2021, listeners immediately assumed the “blonde girl” line referred to Carpenter. This turned the two women into rivals in the public eye, even though Carpenter later said she had never met Rodrigo (Us Weekly (celebrity news magazine)PAPER Magazine (culture and entertainment magazine), marking his first major public comment on the drama.

Why they stopped dating

By 2022, the rumors had faded. No breakup announcement was made, but both Carpenter and Bassett moved on to focus on their careers. The last public sighting of them together was in 2021. Given the lack of official confirmation, the relationship’s end is assumed to be quiet and mutual.

The pattern: the love triangle was a media creation as much as a real-life event. The three principals have never sat down together to explain it, leaving fans to piece together clues from lyrics and paparazzi photos.

Is Joshua Bassett LGBTQ+?

Yes, Joshua Bassett has publicly identified as part of the LGBTQ+ community. In a 2021 social media post, he came out, though he has not used a specific label (People (celebrity news outlet)).

Public statements about sexuality

• In 2021, Bassett posted on Instagram expressing love and support for the LGBTQ+ community and indicated he was a member (People (celebrity news outlet))
• He has emphasized self-acceptance in interviews, without boxing himself into a category (People (celebrity news outlet))

Fan speculation

Fans had speculated about his sexuality for years, often based on his roles, fashion, and social media activity. His coming-out post was seen as a validation of those guesses, but he made it clear that he was not defined by any single label.

His stance on labels

Bassett has said he prefers to be seen as a person first, not a label. This approach has been praised by many in the LGBTQ+ community for its authenticity.

The implication: by not specifying a label, Bassett leaves room for personal growth and avoids the traps of public categorization. It’s a conscious choice that reflects a broader cultural shift away from rigid identity boxes.

Who is Joshua Bassett in a relationship with?

As of 2025, Joshua Bassett is not publicly dating anyone. He has been linked to no one since his rumored relationship with Sabrina Carpenter ended in 2022.

Current status

Bassett appears to be single and focused on his music and acting career. His social media feeds are filled with studio sessions, performance clips, and promotional content for his album and book.

Past rumors

Since Carpenter, no credible romantic rumors have surfaced. A few fan theories have circulated, but none with substantiating evidence from reliable sources.

Focus on career

Bassett released his debut EP Crisis / Secret / Set Me Free in 2021 and his debut album The Golden Years in 2024 (People (celebritiy news outlet)). He also published a book titled Rookie in 2024. His career trajectory suggests he is prioritizing artistic output over public romance.

The trade-off: staying single keeps him out of the tabloid drama, but it also means the love triangle narrative will continue to follow him as long as he doesn’t clarify the past. The pattern: silence is a statement, but it’s one that leaves interpretation open.

“I don’t know her at all.”

— Olivia Rodrigo, in a March 2021 interview, regarding Sabrina Carpenter (Us Weekly (celebrity news magazine))

“It’s a lot to process, and I’m just trying to be authentic.”

— Joshua Bassett, in a March 2021 interview with PAPER Magazine (culture and entertainment magazine)

For the millions of fans who grew up watching the HSMTMTS cast and followed the unfolding drama, the lesson is clear: the story of Joshua Bassett’s relationships is as much about fan culture and media speculation as it is about the people involved. The lack of official confirmation from the principals means that any narrative is necessarily incomplete. For journalists and fans alike, the choice is between filling in the gaps with speculation or accepting the uncertainty. Joshua Bassett’s decision to stay private about his past ensures that the love triangle will remain an open question.

For a deeper look into his past romances, check out Joshua Bassetts relationship history which covers his exes and timeline in detail.

Frequently asked questions