Avril Lavigne has dismissed a bizarre rumour she was replaced by a body double called Melissa in 2003 as "dumb".
The 'Sk8er Boi' singer appeared on the Call Her Daddy podcast and was asked by host Alex Cooper what the craziest rumour she'd heard about herself was.
"I know what you're talking about," she said, referencing the conspiracy theory that emerged in the early 2000s claiming the Canadian star had died in 2003 after the release of her debut album Let Go was released.
The internet theory claimed the singer was replaced with a doppelganger named Melissa, who would imitate her in public appearances when the real Lavigne was suffering exhaustion from fame.
It found fresh traction when a thread on X in 2017 showed various supposed indicators of Lavigne's replacement.
Some of the 'clues' highlighted include changes in the singer's appearance over the years and a photo shoot for her album Under My Skin in 2004, where the name 'Melissa' appeared on her hand.
"I mean, it's just funny to me. 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."
However, she laughed it off before saying: "Honestly, it's not that bad. It could be worse, right? 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."
But host Cooper told Lavigne he could understand why people would believe she was not real.
"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."
