Cover Image Source: Getty Images | Photo by James Devaney
There is no lack of conspiracy theories about celebrities on the internet. Probably one of the most famous theories was about pop musician Avril Lavigne’s death and how she was replaced by a look-alike in 2003. According to Forbes, Lavigne had apparently taken her own life after achieving mainstream success with hits like Complicated and Sk8er Boi. The conspiracy theory that floated around the internet and among her fans also mentioned that died by suicide because she was unable to handle the pressure that came with fame and couldn’t deal with the death of her grandpa.
Cover Image Source: Getty Images | Jeff Kravitz
The crazy theory suggested that an actress named Melissa Vandella who had an uncanny resemblance with the singer, decided to fill in her shoes. Vandella was allegedly hired to pose as Lavigne for taking paparazzi pictures and was also given the responsibility to perform as Lavigne by the singer’s record label. Fans have long scrutinized the changes in the appearance of the singer, nitpicking every detail from changing her clothing style to her makeup, and her facial structure.
Throwback when Avril Lavigne dressed up as Melissa Vandella for Holloween pic.twitter.com/qy5vLhHi96
— AvrilMemes (@ARLavigneMemes) October 30, 2023
Fans even noticed how this doppelganger preferred to wear more dresses and skirts when Lavigne was known for her tomboyish outfits that included ties and cargo pants. Some even pointed out the word “Melissa” written on Lavigne’s hand during one photoshoot. Many other curious folks also felt that the fake Lavigne left clues about this whole bizarre scenario in the lyrics of her song Slipped Away, per The Guardian. “The day you slipped away was the day I found it won’t be the same,” the lyrics of the song read.
Avril Lavigne || Melissa Vandella pic.twitter.com/Nv0YCWUK4N
— Nat CR (@BlizzardCR) August 21, 2022
But turns out, there was not an ounce of truth in this conspiracy theory. While speaking to Entertainment Weekly at one point, Lavigne addressed these baseless rumors about her death and replacement with a body double. The singer branded it as a “dumb internet rumor.” “I am flabbergasted that people bought into it. Isn’t that so weird?” Lavigne told the outlet. “It’s so dumb. And I look the exact same. On one hand, everyone is like, ‘Oh my god, you look the same,’ and on the other hand, people are like ‘Oh my god, she died’.” Lavigne recently addressed this conspiracy theory once again while answering a question on the Call Her Daddy podcast agreeing with the host Alex.
Lavigne said that she could have fallen victim to worse conspiracy theories but her being replaced by a doppelganger was not that bad. According to BBC, Lavigne once again responded to the rumors while appearing on an Australian radio station show and called the conspiracy theory and called it “weird.” However, some of the hawk-eyed netizens were able to trace the origins of the conspiracy theory about Lavigne. It was believed that the fake news spread on a Brazilian Avril Lavigne fan page called ‘Avril Está Morta’ (‘Avril is Dead’) in 2011. People handling the original fansite also backtracked on the news and claimed that posted it to prove how easily a fake theory can be spread on the internet.
