Get well soon! Joshua Bassett was hospitalized on Thursday, January 14, and had to undergo emergency surgery hours after his “Lie, Lie, Lie” release.
The High School Musical: The Musical: The Series star, 20, shared the news via Instagram, posting a video of himself on a stretcher making a peace sign gesture at the camera.
“Welp … not the first place I assumed I’d be on my ‘Lie, Lie, Lie release day … the ER!! (before you ask, not it’s not covid). After an unknown, uncomfortable feeling turned into times 10, the worst pain of my life, I figured I’d just try to sleep. After multiple, very, very ugly days and nights, I had no choice today but be taken to the hospital,” Bassett captioned the clip, revealing that he “had my first surgery.”
The Disney star thanked fans “for all the support on the song!!!” He also noted that the doctors and hospital staff “are the sweetest, most professional people in the [world].”
Bassett didn’t say what he was being treated for, but said his doctor told him he was officially “‘the sickest patient in the hospital.'”
“Lie, Lie, Lie” was released earlier that same day. The song came amid a rumored feud with the Stuck in the Middle alum’s costar, Olivia Rodrigo, who released her single, “Drivers License,” on Friday, January 8. The two singles are thought by many to be about the relationship between the two, rumored to have been linked.
Bassett, for his part, used his song to call out someone for “acting all so innocent” while talking negatively about him. In the chorus, he croons, “I know what you say about me / I hope that it makes you happy / You can’t seem to get me off your mind (Get me off your mind) / Oh, I know you’re lying through your teeth / You told them the lies that you told me / I’ve had enough of it this time (Had enough this time).”
The California native released a music video for “Lie, Lie, Lie” in which he, at one point, was shown driving alone in a car — seemingly a nod to Rodrigo’s “Drivers License” track.
Ahead of release day, the pop singer opened up about the inspiration behind the song. “I wrote ‘Lie, Lie, Lie’ after I found out a friend had been lying about me behind my back for a long time,” he wrote via Instagram Stories on Thursday. “It always sucks to hear that someone you thought you could trust would throw you under the bus when it benefits them.”
He added, “It happens to all of us, and I think all you can do is seek out people that build you up rather than tear you down.”
Speculation was rife among fans that Bassett’s single would be a response to Rodrigo’s. After the 17-year-old actress and musician dropped the breakup ballad earlier this month, many theorized that she was alluding to her High School Musical castmate’s relationship with Girl Meets World alum Sabrina Carpenter.
She appeared to allude to the 21-year-old singer in lyrics like, “You’re probably with that blonde girl / Who always made me doubt / She’s so much older than me / She’s everything I’m insecure about.”
