Joshua Bassett Says It's a 'Miracle' Ketamine Addiction After Near-Death Health Crisis 'Didn't Take My Life’

Kimberlee SpeakmanFri, May 15, 2026 at 4:15 PM UTC

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Joshua Bassett
Credit: Kevin Winter/WireImage -

Joshua Bassett has revealed in his memoir and on the Zack Sang Show that he struggled with an addiction to ketamine after a near-death health crisis in 2021

On the podcast, he detailed how he would use ketamine daily to cope with emotional pain and isolation

Bassett also admitted in his memoir to "consuming six baggies of ketamine" by himself every single night and downing "a whole bag in one whiff"

Joshua Bassett is opening up about falling into addiction following a near-death health crisis in 2021.

The High School Musical: The Musical: The Series star, 25, shared on the Zack Sang Showthat after the incident, he would use "anything to make me numb at any given time" — including ketamine.

“[I’d use] whatever was the most effective in that moment at sort of putting me at ease,” he said on the podcast of his addiction, which he initially revealed in his new memoir, Rookie: My Public, Private, and Secret Life.

In the book, Bassett says he was "consuming six baggies of ketamine, all by myself, every single night,” and instead of just “snorting a line, I'd down a whole bag in one whiff,"  according to Entertainment Weekly. He reportedly said that he would also set an alarm to take out his "max daily allowance," from an ATM in order to purchase the drugs.

On the Zach Sang Show, he admitted that he would buy the substance “every single day,” until he began having negative side effects.

“It got to a point, and I think that’s the thing about a lot of drugs is that they can be fun and enjoyable for a little while, but … what happens is you have a good time and then now you’re at a deficit, a dopamine deficit,” Bassett explained.

"So now you need a little bit more, but then your tolerance goes up. So when you're at the next deficit, you need even more…,” he continued. “It's a very easy one to fall into. And for me, again, it was just an escape."

Joshua Bassett in Los Angeles in March 2024
Credit: Jon Kopaloff/Getty

He admitted on the podcast that the drug would allow him to "temporarily finally feel like I could just, like, exist” and that he “wasn't in torment." When asked how he kept it a secret after all this time, he attributed it to his acting skills.

“I was pretty good at hiding it. You know?,”  the “Lie, Lie, Lie” singer said. “I’m an actor so I think it’s my gift and curse is that I can pretend that I’m doing well when I’m not.”

Bassett added that addiction “thrives is through isolation” and “having more money than you could know what to do with. That's just a recipe for a really dangerous spiral."

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"It's truly a miracle it didn't take my life," he added on the podcast of his addiction. "It's a miracle my life hasn't been taken quite a few times, to be honest … You know, it's a miracle I'm here for sure."

The revelation about his addiction is one of several that the musician shared in his new memoir, which also delved into his near-death experience when he was hospitalized for septic shock and heart failure.

Joshua Bassett performing in 2022
Credit: Helen Healey/NBC via Getty

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"[The doctors] told me that I had a 30 percent chance of survival," he said. "They told me that if I had not checked into the hospital within 12 hours, I would have been found [dead] in my apartment."

According to EW, Bassett experienced septic shock and heart failure two days after Olivia Rodrigo, his rumored ex and High School Musical costar, released her hit song "driver's license" — which is rumored to be about him — and the same day he released his single "Lie Lie Lie." While the musicians never officially confirmed their romance or split, Bassett was the focus of negative online comments following the release of "driver's license" in January 2021, though the 25-year-old said that at the time he "didn't have any energy to be able to focus on anything but staying alive," per EW.

In addition to his hospitalization, Bassett's memoir also covers dark moments of fame, addiction and mental health struggles.

"There's a lot of people don't know, there's a lot my family doesn't even know that's in there. It's definitely terrifying and vulnerable but hopefully leads to a lot of freedom and hopefully people are given a new perspective," he told PEOPLE in a February book announcement.

If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, please contact the SAMHSA helpline at 1-800-662-HELP.

If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health challenges, emotional distress, substance use problems, or just needs to talk, call or text 988, or chat at 988lifeline.org 24/7.

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”