The Pop World Heals: Olivia Rodrigo and Sabrina Carpenter End Speculation with Public Affirmations
For years, the rumour mill has churned, pitting two of music’s brightest stars, Olivia Rodrigo and Sabrina Carpenter, against each other. The whispers began shortly after Olivia’s breakout hit, ‘Drivers License’, a song widely interpreted as a thinly veiled account of a love triangle involving a boy and a blonde. Fans have endlessly debated their relationship status – were they bitter rivals, awkward acquaintances, or perhaps, secret confidantes?
Now, the silence is broken, and the narrative is shifting. Both artists, who are currently dominating the global music scene, have offered clear and positive statements about their relationship, putting an end to years of speculation.
Sabrina Carpenter won her first Grammy in 2025. Image: Getty.
Olivia Rodrigo Sings Sabrina Carpenter’s Praises
In a candid interview for Vogue, Olivia Rodrigo spoke with genuine warmth about her fellow pop sensation. “I think she’s great. I’m so happy for all of her success too,” Olivia shared, expressing her admiration for Sabrina’s latest musical offerings. “I love the album she’s put out.”
When the interviewer probed, suggesting a hint of tension around the topic, Olivia clarified that her hesitation stemmed from a desire to prevent her words from being misinterpreted. “It’s all love, though. I’ve talked to her many times,” she affirmed. This statement directly addresses the long-held fan theories that there was lingering animosity between the two.
A Grammy Encounter: More Than Just a Passing Nod
The notion of a friendly rapport was further cemented by an unexpected moment at the 2025 Grammy Awards. In a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it interaction captured on camera, Olivia was seen leaving her seat – and her then-boyfriend, Louis Partridge – to approach Sabrina’s table. The footage showed Olivia leaning in for a conversation, a necessary manoeuvre given the venue’s acoustics.
Significantly, Taylor Swift was also visible in the background of this interaction. This detail is noteworthy, as Swift herself has faced past speculation regarding songwriting credit disputes with Olivia. When Swift later invited Sabrina to open for her on The Eras Tour, many fans interpreted this as Swift taking a side. However, the Grammy encounter suggests a different, more harmonious reality within the pop music elite.
Olivia attended the 2025 Grammys with her then-boyfriend, Louis Partridge. Image: Getty.
Revisiting the Drama: The Love Triangle That Rocked 2021
For those who may have missed the whirlwind of events in 2021, or for a trip down memory lane, it’s worth revisiting the supposed love triangle that dominated headlines, fuelled endless TikTok theories, and divided fanbases.
The Genesis of the Alleged Feud
The story begins in 2019, with the Disney+ series High School Musical: The Musical: The Series. Olivia Rodrigo and Joshua Bassett, who played the on-screen ex-couple Nini and Ricky, displayed undeniable chemistry. This on-screen spark naturally led fans to speculate about a real-life romance, a suspicion that proved to be accurate – at least for a time.
Their relationship, however, was not to last. Following their breakup, Joshua began a public relationship with another Disney star, Sabrina Carpenter. This development would soon become central to the unfolding narrative.
This is them. Image: Getty.
Unpacking Olivia Rodrigo and Joshua Bassett’s Relationship Timeline
The precise timeline of Olivia and Joshua’s relationship remains somewhat elusive, as they kept their romance largely private. However, educated deductions can be made. Filming for the first season of HSMTMTS occurred in early 2019. By March 2020, Olivia shared snippets of a song she had written about a person with a “brown-eyed grin” and dishevelled hair.
By May 2020, fans observed that Olivia and Joshua had ceased interacting on Instagram. In June of the same year, Joshua was first spotted with Sabrina. In July, Olivia announced she had obtained her driver’s licence, a milestone Joshua had reportedly helped her with. Shortly thereafter, she previewed an early version of ‘Drivers License’ on Instagram, a song that would soon become a global phenomenon. In that same month, Sabrina made an uncredited appearance in one of Joshua’s music videos. Olivia then posted a TikTok featuring a scene from HSMTMTS where her character sang about Joshua’s character, captioned: “And that’s on failed relationships.”
By mid-to-late 2020, Olivia and Joshua had parted ways, and he had begun dating Sabrina. While never explicitly confirmed by the couple, their public appearances and shared TikToks served as a de facto announcement of their relationship, a characteristic of how many Gen Z relationships unfold.
This is her. Image: Getty.
A Symphony of Dramatic Releases
The situation took a dramatic turn with the release of a series of highly personal songs, reminiscent of the Jonas Brothers’ era of dating Disney stars and subsequent breakup anthems.
On January 4, 2021, Olivia announced the upcoming release of her debut single, ‘Drivers License’. Less than an hour later, Joshua announced his new single, ‘Lie Lie Lie’. The timing was perceived as petty, and the public was captivated.
‘Drivers License’ was officially released on January 8, and its lyrics immediately ignited speculation. The song detailed the pain of a breakup as the narrator navigates her newfound freedom of driving. The lines, “And you’re probably with that blonde girl / Who always made me doubt / She’s so much older than me / She’s everything I’m insecure about,” were widely interpreted as a direct reference to Sabrina, who is blonde and four years older than Olivia.
Joshua’s song ‘Lie Lie Lie’ was released shortly after, though he publicly denied it was a direct response to Olivia. He explained on Instagram that the song was written after discovering a friend had been spreading lies about him. “It always hurts to hear that someone you thought you could trust would throw you under the bus when it benefits them,” he wrote. “It happens to all of us, and I think all you can do is seek out people that build you up rather than tear you down.”
Later in January, Sabrina released her own song, ‘Skin’, which seemed to directly address the “blonde girl” lyric in Olivia’s song. The lyrics, “Maybe you didn’t mean it / Maybe blonde was the only rhyme,” suggested a pointed response.
Olivia and Joshua reunited in 2022. Image: Getty.
However, in an accompanying Instagram post, Sabrina downplayed any intent to create a “diss track.” She explained that she was at a “tipping point” in her life for various reasons and was inspired to write as a coping mechanism. She stated that while “some lines address a specific situation,” others did not.
Olivia’s subsequent single, ‘Deja Vu’, also appeared to reference Joshua, detailing how he engaged in romantic gestures (like singing Billy Joel’s ‘Uptown Girl’) with his new partner that were originally introduced during their relationship.
Throughout this period, the trio often found themselves addressing the drama in interviews, or more frequently, deflecting questions. However, in April of that year, Joshua made a public gesture that seemed to signal a shift. He shared Olivia’s song ‘Deja Vu’ on his Instagram Stories, praising it enthusiastically and urging the world to anticipate her album.
A year later, Olivia and Joshua were photographed together at the season three premiere of HSMTMTS. This reunion, along with the recent positive statements from Olivia about Sabrina, strongly suggests that any past tensions have been resolved, and a spirit of mutual respect now prevails.
This article was originally published on January 12, 2021, and has since been updated.
Feature Image: Getty.
