It’s fair to say that the conspiracy theory surrounding Canadian singer Avril Lavigne is one of the wildest ones out there, with some people genuinely speculating that she died and was replaced with a body double called Melissa Vandella in 2003.
According to the conspiracists, an Avril lookalike called Melissa Vandella was initially hired to distract the paparazzi and protect Avril as she became more reclusive — and prior to Avril’s apparent death, “Melissa” was taught how to sing and perform like the star.
The evidence in question highlights subtle changes to Avril’s appearance after 2003, and also draws attention to a photoshoot where Avril had the name “Melissa” written on her hand.
Now, in a recent appearance on the Call Her Daddy podcast, Avril has laughed the entire thing off as she insisted that the rumor could somehow be worse.
“When did it start, my second album?” Avril asked in response. “Like, I don't know, I mean, obviously I am me. It’s so dumb.”
“I think they’ve done that with other artists,” she insisted. "I’m not the only one; I think other people have that.”
“I feel like yours is really prominent,” Alexandra countered, prompting Avril to joke: “Oh, I mean, I feel like you might believe it!”
“It’s so fucking crazy and I just have empathy for you, but it’s good to know you don’t give a fuck,” Alexandra went on. “I remember being like: ‘What are people talking about?’ and then I went and started looking and, like, oh, people are fucking insane. So, you don’t care?”
“No,” Avril confirmed, and when Alexandra asked: “Your name is Avril Lavigne?” she once again joked: “Yeah! I knew you half-believed it!”
And the star has been praised for taking the relentless speculation in stride, with one person commenting on a Reddit forum about Avril’s new quotes: “I’m glad she finds in funny, because it truly is the most ridiculous theory ever, yet it's endured for like over a decade."
