Remember when Avril Lavigne dominated the pop-punk landscape in the 2000s at just 16 years old? Her debut album Let Go was beloved for its punchy and infectious singles like “Complicated” and “Sk8er Boi”. People still love the bratty demeanor of “Girlfriend”, telling her love interest to ditch his old fling for her instead. Every millennial who frequented Hot Topic remembers where they were when they first heard her.
Born 42 years ago today in Belleville, Ontario, Lavigne was a lot of fans’ first brush with Canadian music. Raised in evangelical Christian churches, she started singing when she was just two years old. Back then, her mother knew Avril Lavigne would make her way into music one day and supported her accordingly, even if it irritated her siblings.
“My brother used to knock on the wall because I used to sing myself to sleep and he thought it was really annoying. My brother and sister used to make fun of me and say when I sang, my nostrils would flare,” Lavigne recalled in 2011.
In addition to her hit records, she was also known for one of the wildest conspiracy theories in pop culture history. What if, after 2003, we were just seeing a body double the entire time?
Avril Lavigne Turns 42 Years Old Today
The rumors started on the Brazilian blog Avril Esta Morta (or Avril is Dead), where they alleged that there were inconsistencies in her appearance. Eventually, the blog backed away from their position and insisted that it was a joke. According to a BuzzFeed reporter, it was all started to prove how seemingly anyone could start a conspiracy theory.
But one thing about real conspiracy theorists is that they believe everything really is that deep. Consequently, they dug into every piece of evidence that suggested we weren’t looking at the real Avril Lavigne. They pointed out differences in handwriting, facial features, and fashion sense as the crux of their argument. Theorists claimed that the real Lavigne died years ago and her record company hired a lookalike named Melissa Vandella. If it sounds ridiculous, it absolutely is.
Eventually, Avril Lavigne herself stepped in and addressed all the absurd rumors. During a 2018 interview, she essentially scoffed at the whole affair and wondered how people could make things up like that. “Yeah, some people think that I’m not the real me, which is so weird! Like, why would they even think that?” she said at the time.
(Photo by Kevin Kane/Getty Images for RRHOF)
The post Born 42 Years Ago Today, the Canadian Pop-Punk Superstar That Conspiracy Theorists Believed Was Replaced by a Body Double appeared first on VICE.
