Avril Lavigne addresses body double conspiracy theory

Avril Lavigne has responded to an online conspiracy theory about her that claims she died in 2003 and has since been replaced by a doppelgänger named Melissa.

The rumour, which gained traction in the early 2000s, is believed to have originated on a Brazilian fan website.

The theory claims that Lavigne hired a body double to represent her at public events after she grew tired of being a celebrity. It’s then theorised that the singer died at some point between the release of her 2002 album Let Go and 2004’s Under My Skin and the record company decided to hire Melissa as Lavigne full-time.

“I mean, it’s just funny to me,” the “Complicated” singer, 39, said of the rumour on a recent episode of Alex Cooper’s Call Her Daddy podcast.

“Like, on one end, everyone’s like, ‘You look the exact same. You haven’t aged a day.’ But then other people are like, there’s a conspiracy theory that I’m not me.

“Honestly, it’s not that bad. It could be worse, right?” Lavigne laughingly admitted. “I feel like I got a good one. I don’t feel like it’s negative. It’s nothing creepy.

“Obviously I am me, it’s so dumb,” she said, before adding: “I think that they’ve done that with other artists. I’m not the only one. I think, like, other people have that.”

Cooper told Lavigne: “I’m telling you what’s crazy is you haven’t aged. I’m staring at you. And, like, I’m picturing you with your auburn hair. And I’m like, oh my God. You literally look the same from when you were younger.”

Lavigne, who’s responsible for some of the biggest hits of the Noughties, including “Girlfriend” and “Sk8er Boi”, announced last week that she would be releasing a Greatest Hits record this summer. The album will feature 20 of her most popular songs.

Later this month, the Canadian singer will embark on a Greatest Hits North American tour, where she will perform songs from across her seven studio albums.

Beginning on 22 May, she will start in Vancouver, Canada, before continuing on to a number of US cities, including Inglewood, California; Las Vegas, Nevada; Charlotte, North Carolina and Chicago, Illinois.

She’s then bringing the Greatest Hits tour to Europe and the UK. She will be performing at some of the continent’s biggest festivals, including Glastonbury on 30 June.