In a transparent conversation with Zach Sang on “The Zach Sang Show,” actor and singer Joshua Bassett explained how he came to trust in Jesus and reflected on how different his views are now from when he was previously on the show.
“The very fact that I am here before you talking about Jesus and believe in Jesus is a testament to the fact that there might be something there because I was so vehemently opposed,” Bassett said during an interview published Aug. 1 [Editor’s note: This interview contains language some might find offensive.]. “I mocked God on this couch.”
Bassett, who rose to fame starring in Disney+’s “ High School Musical: The Musical: The Series,” grew up in a Christian family, but rejected Christianity for some time. However, he has since come to trust in Jesus “despite me mocking God in interviews, despite me saying that’s totally wrong, my family’s crazy.”
“I thought my family was dumb,” Bassett said. “I thought any Christian was dumb. I thought they were so wrong. And then I had an encounter with the actual living God.”
Joshua Bassett: ‘I Was Completely Lost’
In addition to being an actor, Joshua Bassett is a musician who is currently touring to promote his new album, “The Golden Years.” In early 2023, Bassett started using his platform to share that he had trusted in Jesus and to encourage others to do the same.
“Jesus Christ is the only way,” he said in a tweet posted Jan. 5, 2023. “His death and resurrection are historically documented. Turn away [from] hate, seek forgiveness and come home to Him.”
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Bassett has shared publicly that he was sexually abused as a child and a teen and that he has struggled with anxiety and depression. This struggle became more severe following a major health crisis when he was hospitalized with septic shock. He told People magazine that after leaving the hospital, “I was even more depressed and stressed. I had a panic attack every single day.”
During his most recent conversation with Sang, Bassett said he wanted to “speak completely transparently” about his spiritual journey. He explained that he grew up in a Christian home but was not Christian at the time. Rather, he was “forced” to go to church. “My mom had to drag me,” he said.
But even though Bassett was rejecting Christianity, he was seeking the source of truth, love and peace. “I spent my entire life seeking truth, trying to find peace,” he said. Yet the only time he actually found peace was the “moment I accepted Jesus.”
“I struggled a lot with addiction,” said the singer, who shared that he did mushrooms, “plant medicines,” and ayahuasca, a psychoactive beverage used in some South American cultures for spiritual ceremonies. Bassett even invited Sang to come with him to experience the ayahuasca, but Sang declined. Sang said that he—and even Sang’s mother—were worried about Bassett at the time and that he is relieved Bassett is doing better.
