Avril Lavigne's Most Controversial Moments

Borrowing from symbolism defining the punk and grunge eras that ruled long before she became of age, Avril Lavigne popped into the mainstream as a curiosity via her first hit album "Let Go" in 2002. She wasn't a cardboard cutout cutie like Christina Aguilera and Britney Spears. Musically, she was closer to Pink than, say, Patti Smith, but her "Don't mess with me!" attitude empowered female fans and startled their male counterparts. That rebellious package and her songwriting savvy convinced Arista Records to sign her, and the rest is history.

Lavigne credits her grounded personality to her semi-rural setting in Napanee, Canada. "I got here on my own," she said to the Kingston Herald. "I came from a small town and grew up in a regular home. I know what I've worked hard for ... I've seen a lot of people who have gone a little crazy and who are really into the Hollywood scene. I don't really like to hang out with people like that." And it came in handy when she faced the overwhelming hordes of industry personnel, media, paparazzi and fans hit the big time. That Lavigne is in the top 10 of Canada's best-selling recording artists overall list might be gobsmacking enough, but she's equally taken that her hometown locals named a pizza after her. Those sentiments aside, Lavigne has also put herself at odds with showbiz rivals and handlers hoping to mold her into something else.

Avril Lavigne's rise to stardom also had female fans adopting her signature tie and tank top combo, triggering an inexplicable comment from teen popster and songstress Hilary Duff. Apparently, Duff came across a Lavigne remark that took a shot at her own fans, prompting the Disney chanteuse to weigh in. "I think some of the things Avril said about her fans were kind of mean-spirited," said Duff to World Entertainment News Network (per Paper). "I was like, 'You should be happy that these people like you and look up to you!'" The line allegedly discovered by Duff roughly read: "I sometimes see girls who are dressed like me and made-up like me. Get a life, you know?" although there doesn't seem to be any solid evidence of its original source online. It also didn't make sense, given that Lavigne's own website sells a great deal of fashion merch.

Lavigne wasn't amused. "I'm like, 'Excuse me?'" she said to Newsweek. "First off, it's not even true. I never said that. And second, who the hell cares what she has to say about my fans? Whatever. Hilary Duff's such a goody-goody, such a mommy's girl." During an interview on Boston's "MIX 98.5," Lavigne dug in further. "Don't talk trash with me," she said (per PopDirt), "You can go screw yourself." The sparks in the feud have since fizzled out, enough for the combatants to pose for a shot with their significant others in 2006.

Avril Lavigne has been called a lot of things from critics and detractors alike, but a security threat hasn't been one of them, at least not in North America. Instead, it was Malaysia that pulled the plug on Lavigne's Kuala Lumpur show — where she was slated to kick off her 2008 Asian tour — on grounds that the concert would corrupt Muslim values. The government move was a result of a protest staged by a younger contingent of the conservative opposition Pan-Malaysian Islamic party. "It is considered too sexy for us," said one party official to Associated Press (via Fox News) "It's not good for viewers in Malaysia. We don't want our people, our teenagers, influenced by their performance. We want clean artists, artists that are good role models."

The timing wasn't great either, given that the Lavigne show was scheduled prior to the country's national independence day celebrations, when Malaysians go all out to display their patriotic and religious fervor. But after a cabinet meeting where officials considered assurances from organizers that Lavigne's show was anything but subversive, the show was back on. Lavigne took the news in stride. "They tend to, you know, sometimes not want Western artists in their country," she said to MTV News. "I respect that, but at the same time, you know, there's people that listen to music there and want to see their idols and stuff, so it's all good."

The cratered landscapes that have facilitated the culture wars of late can be pretty rough terrain to navigate, as Avril Lavigne found out when she released the video for her "Hello Kitty" single in 2014. The video features Lavigne singing and dancing with four identically-dressed Japanese backup performers, strutting through such venues as a candy store and a sushi restaurant. It was enough for detractors to have a field day with the artist. Webzine MIC – citing a similar effort previously done by Gwen Stefani –claimed the outing "bastardizes Japanese Kawaii culture," while Billboard dismissed it as an "embarrassment in any language." Social media respondents were far more vicious in pelting Lavigne with allegations of racism. One participant tweeted, "Avril, the video is racist and trivializes an entire group of people into props, among other things." Another one scolded, "This is basically the equivalent of being like, 'I'm not racist! A lot of my friends are black.' Please grow up."

It was enough for Lavigne to tweet her astonishment over the reaction. ?"RACIST??? LOLOLOL!!!" she wrote. "I love Japanese culture and I spend half of my time in Japan." Still, "Hello Kitty" managed to debut at #75 on Billboard's Hot 100 and didn't do much better after that. Ironically, the song hit the #2 berth and her eponymous album that contained the contentious single went platinum in, of all places, Japan.

Despite precautions, U.S. broadcasters of live awards shows are understandably nervous about the unexpected happening onstage, such as the infamous slap Will Smith delivered to Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars. Less than a year later, it was Canada's turn to bear witness to a similar controversy, this time involving Avril Lavigne and an unwelcome guest. Speaking at the Junos (the country's version of the Grammys), airing live from Edmonton, Alberta via the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Lavigne was oblivious to a topless woman clad in pasties and pants venturing onstage behind her until she got too close to the star for comfort. "Get the f*** off!" Lavigne immediately snapped at her.  Police later charged the woman, who exposed herself at the Junos to promote environmental issues, with mischief.

When the incident went viral on social media, most viewers sided with Lavigne for chastising the protester's rude and predatory method of garnering attention. "She handled it like a pro," noted one admirer. Later that night, however, Lavigne tweeted gratitude to her supporters who helped the singer win the fan choice award, after which more "woke" respondents posted their displeasure. "If you were really punk rock you would have handed the protester the mic," noted one dissenter. "[You] should be supporting brave activists who take risks to be heard, not belittling them," added another. Lavigne quickly learned that divisiveness isn't restricted to American politics, it can even sprout up after an otherwise innocuous Canadian awards show.