Getty
In 2003, the internet started a conspiracy theory that Canadian singer Avril Lavigne was dead. As the story goes… Lavigne committed suicide after her grandfather passed away and – at the height of her Sk8r Boi career – her record label hired Melissa Vandella (an actress doppelganger) to replace her.
Late last week, the death hoax resurfaced when Twitter user @givenchyass started a thread on the theory claiming that lookalike Melissa was originally recruited to pose as Lavigne for the paparazzi in LA. It has since been retweeted over 114,000 times.
The thread includes “proof,” such as the fact that Lavinge’s music style changed dramatically from her skate-pop debut album Let Go in 2002 to the hyper-kawaii track Hello Kitty in 2014.
The genre change isn’t the only “evidence.” Lavigne’s handwriting has also changed from her first album to her latest.
And her jaw is “completely different.”
It’s not the first time the death hoax has trended online. A few years ago, A Brazilin blog called Avril Is Dead reignited the theory by pointing out inconsistencies in her skin.
So why has the rumour started up again? Well, this month marks the 15th anniversary of the release of Lavigne’s hit single Complicated. And everyone knows the best way to celebrate a milestone is with a conspiracy theory…
If you’re still not convinced, ask yourself this: “Would the real Avril Lavigne sell-out to a diet snack brand?”
