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On November 12, 2019, The Walt Disney Company jumped into the deep end of the streaming pool with the launch of its very own streaming service, Disney+. Disney+ was the ultimate streaming app for Disney fans. Not only were there a ton of classic Disney animated movies, Disney Channel original movies, and television shows, but there were also original series that were only available on Disney+.
While there wasn’t a ton of original content to start, what was available was extremely popular. Subscribers could enjoy shows like The Mandalorian, WandaVision, The Imagineering Story, The World According to Jeff Goldblum, and High School Musical: The Musical: The Series.
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Shows like The Mandalorian and High School Musical: The Musical: The Series quickly became some of the most popular shows around, causing thousands of people to sign up for Disney+. And its stars — like Pedro Pascal (The Mandalorian), Olivia Rodrigo (HSMTMTS), and Joshua Bassett (HSMTMTS), became household names.
Of course, fame can come with a heavy price tag, mainly the press and fans having something to say about almost everything. That is especially true when the actor announces something that could be seen as controversial.
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Recently, High School Musical: The Musical: The Series star, actor Joshua Bassett, made some interesting claims that have fans raising their eyebrows.
In early 2023, Bassett very publicly became a Christian and, while speaking on the Zack Sang Show on YouTube, said that he decided to after getting high on the psychoactive beverage, ayahuasca.
@zachsangshow @joshua bassett tells the story about finding jesus 🌱#joshuatbassett #god #jesus #christianity #zachsangshow #zachsang #fyp #foryou @Amazon Music
Despite the fact that his trip led him to find Jesus, he said that he does not endorse the experience, and even said that he is “vehemently opposed” to it.
“Basically, my soul was falling to the pits of hell, a hell I did not believe in. As I hit the gound in hell, I was surrounded by hundreds of thousands of demons who were mocking me and laughing at me and torturing me. And as I thought about the abuses I experienced as a kid, they laughed and they mocked harder.”
” As real as I know that I am here right now, I know this was a real experience. I had a thought, the devil’s had a hold of me my whole life.”
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Bassett then said that he tried to leave, but he was not allowed to because he was high.
“Eventually I go outside to kind of cool off, and I look up and I see Jesus in the sky. And I’m like “No way, there’s no way.” And the first thought I had was my dad was right.”
He further admitted that after the experience, he “felt lost,” and the next six months saw him developing a drug addiction. One day, he woke up to meditate and said that he immediately felt the presence of Jesus. He said that he then realized he needed Jesus and called his dad and asked for his help.
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A Controversial Conversion
This is not the first time Bassett has raised eyebrows while talking about his religion. Last year, the teen star angered fans when he revealed that he had recently been baptized at Bethel Church in California. But it wasn’t his decision to be baptized that presented the problem. It was the church that he chose to be a part of.
Bethel Church is a nondenominational church, but it has a history of controversial practices. Mainly, it has been called out for its practice of conversion therapy. Conversion therapy — which is illegal in over half of the country — uses extreme measures, like shock therapy, food deprivation, and beatings, to convert LGBTQ people to heterosexual individuals.
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The criticism of his church reached Bassett, and he shared that he did not know about the church’s controversial practices. While he did not denounce the church, he did say that he did not support or endorse conversion therapy.
High School Musical: The Musical: The Series ended in 2023 after four seasons, but that does not mean Bassett has nothing to do with his days. He is currently focusing on creating new music.
What do you think of Bassett’s interesting path to religion? Let us know in the comments!
