Get ready to go down the rabbit hole. Jezebel reports there’s a viral conspiracy theory that beloved teen angst icon and embodiment of the early 2000s Avril Lavigne has actually been dead since 2003. According to conspiracy theorists, Avril committed suicide after her grandfather’s death and was replaced by her friend/doppelganger Melissa, who has been impersonating her ever since.
I am so deep down this “Avril Lavigne died and was replaced in 2003” rabbit hole.
— Blake Murphy (@BlakeMurphyODC) May 15, 2017
Seem ridiculous? Internet sleuths who think the theory is anything but ridiculous are digging to find evidence. From the shape of the corner of her eyes, to her nose, to her handwriting, to her red carpet outfit choices, all of Avril’s qualities have been scrutinized.
Avril always wore pants on red carpets. The dresses started late 2003. Melissa (bottom) loves the attention but Avril (top) clearly doesn’t. pic.twitter.com/rPtIbzsqpH
— goth princess (@angeldelemuerte) May 14, 2017
@givenchyass Okay so I was looking at these and the corners of their eyes are shaped differently and now I’m geeking pic.twitter.com/ag2G37NsSt
— A (@ashlynnktigner) May 14, 2017
@givenchyass avrils old handwriting vs a latest tweet pic.twitter.com/1cwBbgSBfy
— the sweetest heart (@privatelaprip) May 14, 2017
Theorists believe that before the release of her second album, Under My Skin, Avril was having trouble coping with the limelight and excessive paparazzi, so her record company hired a body double, Melissa, to impersonate her. After Avril died, she was replaced by the double full-time.
People even think the lyrics of songs such as “Slipped Away” hint to the switch. “It wasn’t fake / It happened you passed by / Now you’re gone, now you’re gone / There you go, there you go / Somewhere I can’t bring you back / Now you’re gone, now you’re gone / There you go, there you go / Somewhere you’re not coming back / The day you slipped away / Was the day I found it won’t be the same, no,” the lyrics read.
However convincing these clues may be, the Brazilian website that started the rumor back in 2005 released a statement claiming the blog was created to prove how easily people can be persuaded to believe conspiracy theories. The Metro UK reports the owner of the site wrote, “Many people believe everything they see on the internet, but is this really right?… Avril Lavigne has never died, has never been replaced by a look-alike, I just created this theory and thousands of people believed that this was a fact.”
Avril hasn’t commented on the rumors, so she’s either hiding the fact that she’s really Melissa or she realizes it’s better to not acknowledge crazy theories like this. But it’s understandable that fans are concerned. After all, if Avril died in 2003, who’s responsible for “Girlfriend” and “My Happy Ending”?