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Singer Joshua Bassett revealed he “experienced sexual abuse a lot in my childhood.”
“I didn’t remember that until last year, which is pretty insane,” the 20-year-old said in a new GQ profile, published on Friday.
He continued, “I buried it so far. And when I was a teen, a much older man routinely abused me, and I wasn’t able to see it for what it was at the time.”
The “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series” star wrote latest song, “Set Me Free,” to process the experience, calling it, “an anthem for me and the sort of people who’ve held pain and power over me my whole life.”
Bassett — who confirmed that he’s a part of the LGBTQIA+ community back in June — continued, “You’ve taken so much from me, but you don’t get to take all of me.”
Bassett also plans to deep-dive into his past trauma on a new podcast dedicated to “heavy talks” that he says should launch in 2022.
The Disney star wants to “hopefully help people who are experiencing that” and provide listeners with “the podcast that I wish I had when I was a kid.”
In addition to “Set Me Free,” the multi-hyphenate released two other songs Friday morning, which some believe address ex-girlfriend Olivia Rodrigo.
Back in January, fans theorized that Bassett dumped Rodrigo for another woman after she released her break-up anthem, “Driver’s License,” leading many of her fans to turn on the actor.
In new song “Crisis,” Bassett seemingly addresses the rumors, singing, “If you get to tell your truth / Then so do / And it’s cool if you want me to play the bad guy.”
The lyrics continue: “Half the s–t you’re saying’s only half true / Messing with my life as a career move / I can’t help but wonder why you won’t make it end.”
“I wish that I could open my eyes and the nightmare be over/ But you sensationalize, keep fanning the fire for the headlines.”
New track “Secret” also appears to take a jab at Rodrigo with lyrics like, “I really hope you had your fun / Good for you foolin’ everyone / You had me tricked for 16 months.”
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