Sabrina Carpenter and Joshua Bassett's Relationship Timeline

Sabrina Carpenter and Joshua Bassett made headlines for their rumored romance in 2021.

The "Vicious" singer and the High School Musical: The Musical: The Series star first sparked dating rumors in the summer of 2020, and those rumors eventually went into overdrive in early 2021 after Bassett's costar Olivia Rodrigo released her hit single "Driver's License," which many fans theorized was about the actor.

Amid speculation about their relationship, Carpenter and Bassett later confirmed they were single in late 2021, prompting rumors that they had split.

While Carpenter and Bassett never officially confirmed their relationship at the time, they have spoken about each other in various interviews.

As songwriters, they've also expressed their emotions through music, with Bassett penning a handful of love songs on his 2021 EP (including a scrapped duet with Girl Meets World alum Carpenter) and Carpenter releasing her fifth studio album, Emails I Can't Send in 2022.

From coordinating Halloween costumes together to their quotes about each other, here's a complete timeline of Bassett and Carpenter's rumored relationship.

June 22, 2018: Joshua Bassett gets excited about Sabrina Carpenter attending the Radio Disney Music Awards

Before Bassett starred on High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, the Disney Channel alumnus attended the 2018 Radio Disney Music Awards, where he was shown excitedly reacting to Carpenter's presence at the event.

During an interview with Rodrigo and her Bizaardvark costar Madison Hu, Bassett and a handful of Disney stars were asked who they were most excited to see. While Bassett replied that he was eager to see Charlie Puth, he got visibly excited when someone mentioned that Carpenter would be attending.

2019-2020: Joshua Bassett and Olivia Rodrigo costar on HSMTMTS and reportedly start dating

In 2019, Bassett and Rodrigo joined the cast of HSMTMTS, where they played love interests Ricky and Nini. Shortly after the series aired, the two sparked dating rumors, with fans interpreting the actors' frequent Instagram posts about each other as a real-life romance.

In season 1, the musicians also co-wrote a song together titled "Just For a Moment," which their characters sing in the finale. In an interview with L.A. Times, Rodrigo opened up about her close bond with Bassett, noting that working together felt very natural.

"I love him so much. He's my best friend … It was like I wasn't acting," she said.

June 2, 2020: Joshua Bassett and Sabrina Carpenter spark dating rumors

In the summer of 2020, fans captured a video of what appears to be Bassett and Carpenter at a Black Lives Matter protest in L.A., prompting speculation that he and Rodrigo had split.

About a month later, Rodrigo alluded to a breakup when she posted a TikTok video of her eating a muffin as her song "All I Want" from HSMTMTS plays in the background. She captioned the clip, "And that's on failed relationships."

July 16, 2020: Joshua Bassett releases "Anyone Else" video, which appears to feature Sabrina Carpenter

A month later, Bassett released the music video for his song "Anyone Else," which appeared to feature Carpenter throughout, including a shot of them holding hands in the car and a clip of Carpenter's voice at the end of the video.

Aug. 15, 2020: Joshua Bassett and Sabrina Carpenter grab lunch together

The duo was spotted grabbing lunch together in Studio City, California with Carpenter's sister, Sarah. At one point, Bassett and Carpenter could be seen laughing as they sat across from each other.

Nov. 1, 2020: Joshua Bassett and Sabrina Carpenter coordinate Halloween costumes

In November 2020, Bassett and Carpenter shared glimpses of their coordinating Halloween costumes on TikTok, in which they dressed up as Sharkboy and Lavagirl from the 2005 film The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl.

Jan. 8, 2021: Olivia Rodrigo releases "Drivers License"

In early January 2021, Rodrigo released her debut single "Drivers License," a breakup track about an ex moving on with someone else. The lyrics immediately prompted TikTok speculation that Rodrigo was singing about Bassett. One particular lyric also makes reference to a "blonde girl," which many fans thought was a subtle nod to Carpenter, as the original lyric for the song was "brunette girl."

Bassett later congratulated Rodrigo on the release, writing on his Instagram Story, "such a great song!"

Jan. 22, 2021: Sabrina Carpenter releases "Skin"

A few weeks later, Carpenter released her own track titled "Skin," which seemingly addressed the love triangle drama. "Maybe you didn't mean it / Maybe blonde was the only rhyme," she sings near the beginning of the track.

Furthering speculation that the song was directed towards Rodrigo, Carpenter sings in the bridge: "Don't drive yourself insane / It won't always be this way."

Jan. 25, 2021: Sabrina Carpenter sets the record straight on "Skin" inspiration

Following the social media frenzy of "Skin," Carpenter took to social media to ask her fans not to spread "hate" in "anyone's way."

"I wasn't bothered by a few lines in a (magnificent) song and wrote a diss track about it," Carpenter clarified in a since-deleted Instagram post. "I was at a tipping point in my life for countless reasons. so i was inspired to do what I usually do to cope, write something that I wish I could have told myself in the past."

The Girl Meets World alumna went on to say that "people can only get to you if you give them the power to. And a lot of people were trying to get to me."

"The song isn't calling out one single person," she continued. "Some lines address a specific situation, while other lines address plenty of other experiences I've had this past year."

Jan. 29, 2021: Joshua Bassett confirms a new duet with Sabrina Carpenter on his EP

In January 2021, the tracklist for Bassett's upcoming EP was released on Apple Music, which indicated it would feature a duet with Carpenter titled "We Both Know."

Bassett confirmed the collaboration ​​during an interview with Febre Teen, noting that he slid into Carpenter's DMs to ask her to appear on the song.

"I sent her a quick message and was like, 'Hey, I think you're really awesome and I have this song I think you would sound great on, let me know what you think,' and she responded like 10 minutes later, gave me her number, and I sent her the song," he recalled. "Fortunately, she liked it, so we got together in the studio and it was just a blast to make. I'm really happy with how it all turned out."

Feb. 1, 2021: Joshua Bassett supports Sabrina Carpenter's song "Skin"

Shortly after the release of Carpenter's single "Skin," Bassett publicly showed his support for the singer on his Instagram Story writing, "Been stuck in my head since I heard it!!! Congratulations @sabrinacarpenter on 'skin,' the new label, & all that's to come!!!"

Feb. 3, 2021: Sabrina Carpenter teases "We Both Know" duet with Joshua Bassett

During an interview with Radio.com, Carpenter teased her upcoming duet with Bassett, noting it was a super special project for her.

"I can't say too much. It's on his project so I'm like, I don't want to say too much that I can't say, but it's a collaboration very dear to my heart that I'm excited about," she said. "We did it a while ago now. I guess you'll have to see!"

Feb. 10, 2021: Sabrina Carpenter says her "Skin" lyrics are "misinterpreted"

During an appearance on The Late Late Show with James Corden, Carpenter once again addressed the meaning behind her song "Skin," noting how the lyrics have been "misinterpreted" by fans.

"People will make a narrative out of something always, you know?" she told host Corden, who jested that she was "skirting around" the controversy linked to the song. "I think this was like a really interesting song for people to kind of misinterpret and make it into something that it wasn't really supposed to be in the first place."

"But I've just been enjoying making music," she concluded.

Feb. 25, 2021: Joshua Bassett and Sabrina Carpenter scrap their duet "We Both Know"

In late February 2021, Bassett revealed that he was scrapping his duet with Carpenter from his EP and replacing it with a new song titled "Telling Myself."

"I didn't want my EP to be overshadowed by some other narrative that people were trying to make," Bassett told Billboard about his decision to remove the song. "I really want the focus to be on the art instead of some of the talk and the chatter. You shouldn't live to please everybody, but at the same time, there are ways to be sensitive to situations where maybe ['We Both Know'] has a better chance at a different time."

He added that it "was a very much a mutual conversation about what is best right now for everybody and this whole situation."

March 8, 2021: Joshua Bassett tells fans to overlook the "drama" and focus on Carpenter and Rodrigo's talent

While discussing new music with ET Canada, Bassett briefly opened up about Carpenter and Rodrigo when he was asked what his response was to the drama around the rumored love triangle.

"There's no response to be made," he said, noting that "Drivers License" was Rodrigo's "story to tell."

He then added, "I hope people don't forget the value that her and Sabrina bring to the world outside of the drama and I hope people will look at the depth of who they are instead of just the surface-level gossip."

March 12, 2021: Joshua Bassett calls Sabrina Carpenter "the sweetest person ever"

During an interview with POPSUGAR, Bassett opened up about his close bond with Carpenter and what it was like getting to work with her professionally on their since-scrapped duet.

"I'm a massive fan of Sabrina, I think the world of her, so I think people are going to really like the song, and I think eventually, it'll be good, but for right now, it's just not the time," he said.

"She's a badass," he continued about the singer. "She's so dope, but she's also the sweetest person ever. It's like she has that 'Sabrina Carpenter persona,' but the Sabrina I know is like a marshmallow. So she's really dope, and it was super awesome [to] work with her. I feel like we actually taught each other in a few ways. That was kind of cool, [to] learn from each other in the process of making that song."

He also noted that they bonded over their shared experience as former Disney Channel stars and he has even leaned on Carpenter for advice on navigating the spotlight. "That's kind of cool to have that shared experience and whatnot," he said. "Just through different things, every now and then, I'll text her and be like, 'I don't know what to do.' And she'll be like, 'You've got this. I've been through this. You're good.'"

March 12, 2021: Joshua Bassett teams up with Sabrina Carpenter's sister for new music videos

As Bassett released new music in 2021, many of his music videos were in collaboration with Carpenter's sister Sarah.

In addition to serving as the creative director for "Telling Myself," Sarah also served as the co-director for "Feel Something" alongside Bassett in May.

Bassett's most recent music videos, including "Doppelgänger," "Set Me Free," "Secret," and "Crisis" were also in collaboration with Sarah.

May 11, 2021: Joshua Bassett comes out as part of the LGBTQ+ community

The singer first hinted at his sexuality in an interview during which he described Harry Styles as "hot," later saying it was his "coming-out video."

He later addressed the interview on Instagram, writing, "My entire life people have told me my sexuality. People have shamed me for things they know nothing about. I want to say thank you to those of you who stand for love and acceptance." He continued, "Love who you love shamelessly. It's ok to still be figuring out who you are. Life's too short to let ignorance and hatred win. I choose love. ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜"

At the time, Carpenter showed her support for Bassett by commenting a heart on the social media post.

In an interview with PEOPLE, Bassett — who has decided not to reveal what he classifies as publicly in an effort not to be boxed in — revealed that while he didn't intend on coming out at the time, his Instagram post "was the easiest thing I've ever done."

"I feel so much more liberated," he said. "It showed me how silly it is to hide who you are in order to appease a small group of people. At what cost do you bury your heart and soul?"

June 24, 2021: Joshua Bassett says he looks up to Sabrina Carpenter as an artist

During a profile with GQ, Bassett briefly opened up about Carpenter, noting that she is one of the artists he looks up to most.

He also addressed the ongoing speculation about his love life amid the love triangle drama, noting, "People don't know anything they're talking about.''

"[Everyone] is asking me about Sabrina and Olivia," he said. "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."

Sept. 9, 2021: Sabrina Carpenter releases "Skinny Dipping"

In September 2021, Carpenter released "Skinny Dipping", a song about trying to find closure after a breakup. "I didn't feel like I was healed and fully out of a place where I didn't hold any anger or resentment," Carpenter told Teen Vogue about the inspiration behind the track.

Fans have since speculated that the song is about Bassett and the drama surrounding their relationship after the HSMTMTS star wrote similar lyrics about running into an ex at a coffee shop in his single "Doppelgänger."

Sept. 21, 2021: Sabrina Carpenter sparks breakup rumors with a TikTok video

Shortly after the release of "Skinny Dipping," Carpenter seemed to insinuate she was single after she posted a TikTok video featuring audio from Lindsay Lohan.

The audio begins with Lohan introducing herself and saying, "I'm searching for love. I'm recently single … I think … and I'm looking for someone I can spend the rest of my life with."

Carpenter jokingly captioned the TikTok, "i'm not even gonna read the comments lol"

Oct. 3, 2021: Joshua Bassett and Sabrina Carpenter are spotted at a Harry Styles concert

Just a month later, Bassett and Carpenter attended a Harry Styles concert at Madison Square Garden. Though they didn't appear to sit together, they were spotted chatting inside the venue.

Dec. 2, 2021: Joshua Bassett asks fans not to send hate on his behalf as he releases 3 new songs

As Bassett prepared to release a trio of new songs, he asked fans not to "send hate on my behalf."

"Thank you for seeing me, and each other, as living, breathing, healing and hurting human beings," he wrote in a text message to fans. "Due to the nature of pop culture, and the current public perspective, [there] will be a lot of loud voices in this next chapter — positive, negative and everywhere in between."

"all i ask is you treat everyone with respect and love," he concluded. "anyone who sends hate on my 'behalf' is no fan of mine."

Dec. 3, 2021: Joshua Bassett confirms he's single

Amid breakup rumors with Carpenter, Bassett confirmed he was single during a December 2021 interview with GQ, noting that his dating life now is "non-existent."

"I think that's something that's been good about this last little bit: I'm good on my own. I don't need somebody else," he continued.

March 10, 2022: Sabrina Carpenter teases a new song about getting closure

In March 2022, Carpenter teased a brand-new track on TikTok, which fans quickly theorized was about Bassett as the lyrics detailed getting closure from a recent breakup. On the video, Carpenter wrote, "POV you thought you were over them but then they text you 'hey,'" adding, "naturally i wrote a song about it" as the caption.

The song tease came a month after Bassett released his song "Doppelgänger," which details running into someone that looks like an ex. In one lyric he sings, "I guess I'm not as over you as I thought that I was / I saw someone who looked like you at our favorite coffee shop."

March 27, 2022: Joshua Bassett and Sabrina Carpenter attend Elton John AIDS Foundation's Oscars Party

In late March, Bassett and Carpenter were both in attendance at Elton John AIDS Foundation's Oscars Party. Though they both walked the red carpet, it's unclear if they actually ran into each other during the event.

April 9, 2022: Joshua Bassett and Sabrina Carpenter attend Kids' Choice Awards

A month later, Bassett and Carpenter crossed paths again as they attended the Kids' Choice Awards. During the event, Bassett took home favorite male TV star (kids), while Carpenter appeared on stage to present favorite family TV show.

May 2022: Sabrina Carpenter unfollows Joshua Bassett on Instagram

In early May, fans noticed that Carpenter was no longer following Bassett on Instagram. Around the same time, Carpenter made headlines when she was spotted mingling with Rodrigo during a Met Gala afterparty.

July 1, 2022: Sabrina Carpenter releases "Vicious"

On June 30, Carpenter unveiled the title and release date for her upcoming album Emails I Can't Send. A few days later, she dropped a brand-new song from the album titled "Vicious." Following the release, fans speculated that the song was about Bassett as the lyrics seemed to reference Rodrigo's past Sour songs such as "Deja Vu."

At one point Carpenter sings, "You like a certain type of woman / Who's smart but neglects intuition / When you're insecure could be me could be her / You just run to whoever is winning."

In the chorus, she continues: "Love me then / Pretend you didn't / Crush my heart / And wreck my image / Why you gotta be so vicious."

July 15, 2022: Sabrina Carpenter releases Emails I Can't Send album

In July, Carpenter released her fifth studio album, Emails I Can't Send, which documents some of the love and heartbreak she went through the past two years as well as the public scrutiny she faced online.

"I had to fight the urge to do what I normally do — cover it up with confidence — and instead just actually feel those feelings," the singer told Rolling Stone about writing the album. "The tolerance for bullshit in the last two years really minimized for me."

"When you're younger, it's a lot easier to let the words and labels that people put on you affect you and become part of who you are," she continued. "Once you start to rebel against that, it starts to feel a little bit scarier, but also a bit more freeing. That's why it felt like growing pains the whole time that I was making it."

Oct. 16, 2022: Sabrina Carpenter reveals "Nonsense" isn't about Joshua Bassett

During her L.A. concert for her Emails I Can't Send Tour, Carpenter namedropped Bassett in the outro for her hit song "Nonsense," which she has been adding lyrics to for each night of the tour. "I've got a personality but no tits," she sang on stage, before rhyming, "This song is not about Joshua Bassett."