For more than a decade now, the conspiracy theory that Avril Lavinge died and was replaced by a doppelgänger named Melissa has circulated the internet.
Was it true? Probably not.
Did we continue to talk about it? Most definitely.
The Canadian pop star herself has never officially given the claims the time of day - until now, that is. Avril was questioned on the outlandish theory in an interview this week and finally shed light on the truth.
Credit: Getty
Credit: Getty
During an interview with Kyle and Jackie O on Australia’s KISS 1065, Jackie asked her: "Did you laugh at the rumours that you no longer exist and there’s a clone of you?"
Unsurprisingly, the 34-year-old denied the bizarre theory was true and questioned why on earth people would ever believe it.
She said: "Yeah, some people think that I’m not the real me, which is so weird! Like, why would they even think that?"
The Complicated conspiracy started all the way back in 2003 and was reportedly started by a Brazilian Avril Lavigne fan page that alleged that, after the release of her 2002 debut album, Avril couldn’t handle the pressure of fame and began using a body double called Melissa.
Then, shortly after starting work on her second album, the Sk8er Boi songstress apparently fell into a deep depression and was found dead at her home by people who work for her record company.
After her alleged death, the company began using a body double called Melissa as a replacement for the real Avril. However, their plan went awry when 'Melissa' began to leak details of the real singer's death through song lyrics, album booklets, and promotional materials, including clothing.
It sounds completely plausible, right?
In other Avril news, the rocker recently opened up about the crippling illness she went through.
In an interview with Billboard, the When You're Gone star revealed that, in her time away from the spotlight, she fought a long battle with Lyme Disease, an illness that reportedly made her feel like she was dying.
Claiming she started to feel "achy, fatigued and could not get the f**k out of bed" during her 2014 tour, Avril stated that she was finally diagnosed with the disease - a bacterial infection commonly spread to humans by infected ticks - after speaking to a specialist.
She then began a course of antibiotics and antimalarials to kill the bug (spirochete), however, by the time she was diagnosed, it had morphed into a cystic form.
"I was in bed for fucking two years," she told the magazine. "It went undiagnosed for so long that I was kind of fucked."
The pop star attempted to make a comeback in 2015 but ultimately decided she wasn’t ready, admitting that she would often make out that she was fine on social media when she wasn't.
"I put on a brave face because I didn’t want it to be a part of my identity. So the second I was up, I would take a picture and post it on Instagram and act like my life was fucking great," she said.
So glad you're back in full health, Avril AKA definitely not Melissa.