The Reason Joshua Won't Clarify All Those "Drivers License" Rumors Makes Sense

Ever since Olivia Rodrigo dropped “drivers license” on Jan. 8, people haven’t stopped speculating about whether Joshua Bassett was the inspiration behind the song. The chatter only intensified after Rodrigo’s debut album, Sour, which features a number of breakup anthems like “good 4 u” and “Favorite Crime” arrived on May 21. Although fans are convinced Bassett was the muse behind her most heartbreaking tracks, the “Lie Lie Lie” singer has yet to confirm he ever dated Rodrigo when asked about her. Until now, he’s only ever said nice things about his High School Musical: The Musical: The Series co-star. If you’re wondering why Joshua Bassett won't comment on the "drivers license" rumors, it’s because he doesn’t want to get involved in the drama.

Fans were convinced after Rodrigo and Bassett reportedly broke up in early 2020, he began dating actress and singer Sabrina Carpenter. The two Disney stars were first linked together when they were spotted at a Black Lives Matter protest last June. Weeks after they were seen out in public, Rodrigo posted a mysterious TikTok hinting she was heartbroken. Thanks to all three seemingly releasing songs about each other, fans believed the stars were involved in a love triangle. Now, the release of Sour has only fueled those theories. Throughout her album, Rodrigo sings about an ex she calls a “traitor” for moving on from her so quickly. Of course, listeners automatically assumed she was talking about Bassett and Carpenter.

In a June 24 interview with GQ, Bassett opened up about why he won’t comment on the “drivers license” rumors. “People don’t know anything they’re talking about,” the actor said about the rumors about him, Rodrigo, and Carpenter, adding people will believe what they want to believe. “The hardest thing [has been] biting my tongue in a lot of ways, but the reality is it’s kind of like a lost cause trying to talk about any of that stuff and I refuse to feed into any of the bullsh*t, so I just don’t.”

Bassett also said he refuses to comment on the rumors because he doesn’t want to take attention away from the girls’ individual success. “[Everyone] is asking me about Sabrina and Olivia. Why don’t we focus on these women for who they are? Let’s focus on the art that they’re making and how great they are instead of their relationship to a boy,” he said.

Fans can catch Rodrigo and Bassett on Season 2 of High School Musical: The Musical: The Series on Disney+.