Avril Lavigne – The Famous 'Melissa' Theory

Perhaps one of the internet’s most persistent celebrity replacement theories surrounds Avril Lavigne.

The long-running rumour claims that the Sk8er Boi hitmaker died early in her career and was replaced by a body double called Melissa Lavella.

The theory originated on a Brazilian fan blog in 2011, with the author later confessing that it was a hoax that demonstrated how easily fake news spreads.