Joshua Bassett has a message for fans who are worried about his well-being: Don’t be. In a series of posts on his Instagram Story, the 22-year-old singer-songwriter addressed concerns over some of his previous tweets — in which he abruptly professed his Christian beliefs — and stated that he’s better than ever since finding peace in religion.
“For those concerned about me be sure of this: i’m better than i have ever been,” he wrote Sunday night (Jan. 29). “The peace i feel is far beyond what i thought possible.”
The High School Musical: The Musical: The Series star also shared anecdotes form his spiritual journey, including one where he asked God to “send someone to touch my back” while praying at church. “Moments later, two people came up behind me saying that God put it on their heart to put their hands on me and pray,” Bassett wrote. “His love is great, and my faith is certain. praise be to God forever and ever in Jesus name.”
“I have also first hand encountered Jesus twice,” the actor added. “The experience’s [sic] were richer and more vivid than anything in my entire life… i look forward to speaking about it soon.”
Bassett’s posts come a few weeks after he startled some fans and delighted others with a religious Jan. 5 tweet that read, “Jesus Christ is the only way. His death and resurrection are historically documented. turn away form hate, seek forgiveness and come home to Him .”
The message polarized his audience, with some people leaving question marks and notes of concern in his comments section. Others praised Bassett for embracing Christianity.
A few days before that, however, the “Lie, Lie, Lie” musician had tweeted, “most people i know, including myself, are struggling right now.”
“Please be good to yourselves and others, reach out to support those you love, and dont be afraid to ask for help,” he’d noted in the tweet posted on Christmas Eve.
Billboard has reached out to Bassett’s rep for comment.
The young star has certainly had a turbulent past couple of years. In January 2021, he became the target of online harassment after his HMTMTS costar and rumored ex-girlfriend Olivia Rodrigo released her heartbreaking hit single “Drivers License,” which painted an ex in a not-so-positive light. That same month, he was hospitalized after experiencing septic shock and heart failure.
In a pair of GQ interviews, Bassett also opened up about coming to terms with his sexuality, going to therapy and healing from incidents of sexual abuse he experienced in his childhood.
“I just hope that this generation can feel comfortable, confident, and safe talking about sexuality without needing to be a box and without needing to have it all figured out,” he told the publication in June 2021. “I didn’t necessarily have that when I was younger … I’m growing so much. The year that I’ve had has been earth-shattering. I’m still landing on my feet.”
