Joshua Bassett Details Ketamine Addiction, Says He Used “Six Baggies” a Night After 2021 Health Crisis
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - FEBRUARY 12: Joshua Bassett attends the Spotify x LoveShackFancy's Galentines Lunch at The Doubles Club on February 12, 2026 in New York City. Photo Credit: Bryan Bedder
by Chris Tremblay May 6
5 MIN READ
Actor and musician Joshua Bassett, known for his role in Disney’s High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, has publicly detailed a period of severe ketamine addiction that followed a near‑fatal health crisis in 2021.
In a new memoir, Rookie: My Public, Private, and Secret Life, Bassett writes that during this period he became heavily dependent on ketamine, describing his substance use as “reckless addictions” that spiraled and “relentlessly” grew worse over time.
Bassett previously experienced a serious medical emergency shortly after his 20th birthday in January 2021, when he was hospitalized for heart failure and septic shock.
He has said that doctors gave him a 30 percent chance of survival at the time, underscoring the severity of the medical episode and its impact on his physical and emotional wellbeing.
After leaving the hospital, Bassett writes that he turned to drugs to “numb the unspeakable pain,” describing ketamine as the substance he used in a desperate attempt to cope with what he had been through.
In a poem from the memoir titled “Jesus open his eyes,” Bassett recalls that his addiction escalated to the point where he was consuming “six baggies of ketamine” by himself every night.
He writes that instead of snorting a line, he would “down a whole bag in one whiff,” and notes that on some mornings, before even using the restroom, he would inhale more, adding that “it was never enough.”
Bassett describes this period as one in which his “reckless addictions rapidly spiraled, relentlessly growing worse and worse and worse,” and says that “the high highs and oh‑so‑low lows eventually caught up” with him in New York.
His account includes logistical details that illustrate how fully his life became oriented around drug use, including planning his days around his dealer’s schedule and structuring his routine to secure more ketamine.
Bassett writes that his dealer would not begin selling drugs until 3 p.m., so he set alarms for five minutes before that time in order to go to an ATM and withdraw the “maximum daily amount” of cash to buy ketamine.
He describes a cycle of using ketamine throughout the day and night, emphasizing that he was consuming all six baggies by himself, which he portrays as a solitary and escalating pattern of substance use.
Bassett writes that “after way too many weeks of this,” he “inevitably reached rock bottom,” suggesting that the intense ketamine use continued for a sustained period before he recognized the extent of the crisis.
The memoir also references the intense public attention and speculation Bassett faced in 2021 following the release of Olivia Rodrigo’s hit single “drivers license,” with fans widely speculating about his reported connection to Rodrigo and actor Sabrina Carpenter.
Attitude notes that the book touches on this wave of online scrutiny, which placed Bassett under sustained public pressure at the same time that he was dealing with serious health and substance‑use challenges.
In a previous 2021 interview with Attitude, Bassett discussed historic body‑image concerns that began around 2019 when his Disney series first aired, saying these issues eventually became “really unhealthy” before he worked toward a more accepting view of himself.
In another poem quoted from the memoir, Bassett writes that his addictions “reached a point, where I knew if I kept down that path, I wouldn’t make it out alive.”
He compares his situation to being “a car wreck waiting to happen,” language cited in coverage of the book that underscores the life‑threatening nature of his substance use and his awareness of its danger.
Bassett states that it was only when he admitted that he had a problem that he could “truly get help,” framing acknowledgment of addiction as an essential step toward recovery.
Bassett writes that his turning point came one morning when he tried meditating after reaching what he describes as “rock bottom,” seeking “enlightenment” during a quiet practice.
During this meditation, he says he felt the presence of the “Holy Spirit” enter the room, and he writes that he was “painfully reminded of the evil I had become; poor, wretched, naked and blind,” language that appears in both his memoir and subsequent media reports.
He writes that in this moment he “instantly” knew “that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life,” and that he “desperately needed Him,” describing a profound spiritual shift that he credits with changing the direction of his life.
In later interviews, including an appearance on the Zach Sang Show in 2024, Bassett has described his recovery and newfound faith as giving him “a new lease on life” and “more peace than ever experienced,” and he says he felt like he was “literally jumping for joy” like a child.
Coverage notes that Bassett has talked about how he once mocked God and his family’s beliefs but later experienced what he describes as a transformative spiritual encounter that reshaped his views.
He now links his quality of life to what he calls the “distance between me and Jesus,” according to quotations reported from his writing, emphasizing the central role he believes faith plays in his ongoing sobriety.
Rookie: My Public, Private, and Secret Life was released on Tuesday, May 5, and is structured in part through poems that chronicle different stages of Bassett’s life, including his health scare, drug use, spiritual experience, and recovery journey.
The memoir uses first‑person language to describe his experiences with addiction, mental health, and body image, making these topics central to his public narrative as an entertainer and public figure.
Media coverage has emphasized that Bassett, now 25, is using his platform to discuss the complexity of surviving both a serious medical crisis and a subsequent ketamine addiction, without minimizing the risks associated with substance use.
Bassett’s story emerges in a broader context in which many young adults, including LGBTQ+ people, face heightened risks of substance use and mental health stressors, though his memoir does not hinge on a specific sexual or gender identity label in the passages reported about his ketamine use.
Public discussions of his experience may contribute to ongoing conversations about reducing stigma around addiction and encouraging people of all backgrounds—including LGBTQ+ audiences of his work—to seek care that respects their identity and lived reality.
Attitude’s reporting on Bassett’s earlier comments about body image and self‑acceptance also highlights how appearance pressures and online scrutiny can affect young performers, an issue that advocacy groups note can intersect with sexuality, gender expression, and mental health for many people.
In its coverage of Bassett’s disclosures, Attitude includes information directing readers to support services, recommending that people seeking confidential help contact Adferiad, a UK‑based mental health and addiction organization, by phone or via its website.
PopCulture’s report likewise highlights the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration National Helpline, which operates 24/7 and offers free, confidential assistance to people experiencing substance‑use challenges and their families.
By situating Bassett’s personal account alongside helpline information and support resources, outlets frame his story not only as a celebrity revelation but also as a potential entry point for readers to seek help for their own or a loved one’s substance‑use concerns.
Heart failure, septic shock, and the road to drugs
Bassett previously experienced a serious medical emergency shortly after his 20th birthday in January 2021, when he was hospitalized for heart failure and septic shock.
He has said that doctors gave him a 30 percent chance of survival at the time, underscoring the severity of the medical episode and its impact on his physical and emotional wellbeing.
After leaving the hospital, Bassett writes that he turned to drugs to “numb the unspeakable pain,” describing ketamine as the substance he used in a desperate attempt to cope with what he had been through.
“Six baggies… every single night”
In a poem from the memoir titled “Jesus open his eyes,” Bassett recalls that his addiction escalated to the point where he was consuming “six baggies of ketamine” by himself every night.
He writes that instead of snorting a line, he would “down a whole bag in one whiff,” and notes that on some mornings, before even using the restroom, he would inhale more, adding that “it was never enough.”
Bassett describes this period as one in which his “reckless addictions rapidly spiraled, relentlessly growing worse and worse and worse,” and says that “the high highs and oh‑so‑low lows eventually caught up” with him in New York.
His account includes logistical details that illustrate how fully his life became oriented around drug use, including planning his days around his dealer’s schedule and structuring his routine to secure more ketamine.
A daily routine built around ketamine
Bassett writes that his dealer would not begin selling drugs until 3 p.m., so he set alarms for five minutes before that time in order to go to an ATM and withdraw the “maximum daily amount” of cash to buy ketamine.
He describes a cycle of using ketamine throughout the day and night, emphasizing that he was consuming all six baggies by himself, which he portrays as a solitary and escalating pattern of substance use.
Bassett writes that “after way too many weeks of this,” he “inevitably reached rock bottom,” suggesting that the intense ketamine use continued for a sustained period before he recognized the extent of the crisis.
Online scrutiny and mental health pressures
The memoir also references the intense public attention and speculation Bassett faced in 2021 following the release of Olivia Rodrigo’s hit single “drivers license,” with fans widely speculating about his reported connection to Rodrigo and actor Sabrina Carpenter.
Attitude notes that the book touches on this wave of online scrutiny, which placed Bassett under sustained public pressure at the same time that he was dealing with serious health and substance‑use challenges.
In a previous 2021 interview with Attitude, Bassett discussed historic body‑image concerns that began around 2019 when his Disney series first aired, saying these issues eventually became “really unhealthy” before he worked toward a more accepting view of himself.
“I knew I wouldn’t make it out alive”
In another poem quoted from the memoir, Bassett writes that his addictions “reached a point, where I knew if I kept down that path, I wouldn’t make it out alive.”
He compares his situation to being “a car wreck waiting to happen,” language cited in coverage of the book that underscores the life‑threatening nature of his substance use and his awareness of its danger.
Bassett states that it was only when he admitted that he had a problem that he could “truly get help,” framing acknowledgment of addiction as an essential step toward recovery.
A spiritual turning point
Bassett writes that his turning point came one morning when he tried meditating after reaching what he describes as “rock bottom,” seeking “enlightenment” during a quiet practice.
During this meditation, he says he felt the presence of the “Holy Spirit” enter the room, and he writes that he was “painfully reminded of the evil I had become; poor, wretched, naked and blind,” language that appears in both his memoir and subsequent media reports.
He writes that in this moment he “instantly” knew “that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life,” and that he “desperately needed Him,” describing a profound spiritual shift that he credits with changing the direction of his life.
Faith, recovery, and a “new lease on life”
In later interviews, including an appearance on the Zach Sang Show in 2024, Bassett has described his recovery and newfound faith as giving him “a new lease on life” and “more peace than ever experienced,” and he says he felt like he was “literally jumping for joy” like a child.
Coverage notes that Bassett has talked about how he once mocked God and his family’s beliefs but later experienced what he describes as a transformative spiritual encounter that reshaped his views.
He now links his quality of life to what he calls the “distance between me and Jesus,” according to quotations reported from his writing, emphasizing the central role he believes faith plays in his ongoing sobriety.
Memoir as disclosure and advocacy
Rookie: My Public, Private, and Secret Life was released on Tuesday, May 5, and is structured in part through poems that chronicle different stages of Bassett’s life, including his health scare, drug use, spiritual experience, and recovery journey.
The memoir uses first‑person language to describe his experiences with addiction, mental health, and body image, making these topics central to his public narrative as an entertainer and public figure.
Media coverage has emphasized that Bassett, now 25, is using his platform to discuss the complexity of surviving both a serious medical crisis and a subsequent ketamine addiction, without minimizing the risks associated with substance use.
Addiction, stigma, and inclusive support
Bassett’s story emerges in a broader context in which many young adults, including LGBTQ+ people, face heightened risks of substance use and mental health stressors, though his memoir does not hinge on a specific sexual or gender identity label in the passages reported about his ketamine use.
Public discussions of his experience may contribute to ongoing conversations about reducing stigma around addiction and encouraging people of all backgrounds—including LGBTQ+ audiences of his work—to seek care that respects their identity and lived reality.
Attitude’s reporting on Bassett’s earlier comments about body image and self‑acceptance also highlights how appearance pressures and online scrutiny can affect young performers, an issue that advocacy groups note can intersect with sexuality, gender expression, and mental health for many people.
Resources and harm reduction
In its coverage of Bassett’s disclosures, Attitude includes information directing readers to support services, recommending that people seeking confidential help contact Adferiad, a UK‑based mental health and addiction organization, by phone or via its website.
PopCulture’s report likewise highlights the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration National Helpline, which operates 24/7 and offers free, confidential assistance to people experiencing substance‑use challenges and their families.
By situating Bassett’s personal account alongside helpline information and support resources, outlets frame his story not only as a celebrity revelation but also as a potential entry point for readers to seek help for their own or a loved one’s substance‑use concerns.
Copyright EDGE Media Network. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
