"I had accepted I was going to die": Where is Avril Lavigne now?

She’s been out of the spotlight for five years.

But now, after a lengthy battle with Lyme disease, Avril Lavigne is back with a brand new single.

The song, which details Avril’s debilitating struggle with the chronic illness, describes the lowest point she hit in her time away from the spotlight.

“God keep my head over water. Don’t let me drown, it’s getting harder,” the 33-year-old sings.

In a statement shared with People earlier this week, the Canadian pop singer shared how she wrote the song ‘Head Above Water’ from bed during one of the “scariest moments” of her life.

“One night, I thought I was dying, and I had accepted that I was going to die,” she wrote.

“My mum laid with me in bed and held me. I felt like I was drowning.

“Under my breath, I prayed, ‘God, please help to keep my head above the water.’ In that moment, the songwriting of this album began,” she added.

“It was like I tapped into something. It was a very spiritual experience. Lyrics flooded through me from that point on.”

 

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Fighting #LymeDisease has been the hardest battle I’ve ever fought. And it’s not over yet. Writing the music that I shared with you today helped me heal. Join me and #TheAvrilLavigneFoundation as we fight #LymeDisease. #HeadAboveWater #FightLyme www.TheAvrilLavigneFoundation.org ・・・ #Repost @theavrillavignefoundation ・・・ Get your #HeadAboveWater charitable t-shirt NOW to join our fight against #LymeDisease.  All proceeds help provide individuals affected by Lyme with treatment they otherwise couldn’t afford. #FightLyme #LymeWarrior #HeadAboveWater

A post shared by Avril Lavigne (@avrillavigne) on Sep 19, 2018 at 6:28pm PDT

Despite the pain Avril was going through, it is rare to die from Lyme disease. But the symptoms are incredibly debilitating. Common symptoms can include arthritis, fatigue, shortness of breath, neurological issues, fever and pain.

The recovery from the illness is often long-winded too.

While Avril initially promised fans a new album last year, she is reportedly still working on the new album, which will be her first since 2013.

“Thank you for waiting so patiently as I fought through and still continue to fight the battle of my lifetime,” Avril wrote in an open letter to fans earlier this month.

“To be honest, part of me doesn’t want to talk about being sick because I want it to all be behind me, but I know I have to. Because not only is it a part of my life, I need to bring awareness to the severity of Lyme disease.”

In a bid to raise awareness about the disease, the Girlfriend singer has also launched the Avril Lavigne Foundation to help provide treatment to individuals affected by the disease.

Avril’s battle with Lyme began in late 2014, when she travelled to Las Vegas to celebrate her 30th birthday.

“I could barely eat, and when we went to the pool, I had to leave and go lie in bed,” she told People magazine in 2015.

“My friends asked, ‘What’s wrong?’ I didn’t know.”

 

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A post shared by Avril Lavigne (@avrillavigne) on Aug 18, 2018 at 2:26pm PDT

After months of doctors struggling to pinpoint a diagnosis, doctors soon discovered what was wrong.

“I had no idea a bug bite could do this… I was bedridden for five months,” she said. “This was a wake-up call… I really just want to enjoy life from here on out.”

In April, after years away from the public eye, the 33-year-old made her first red carpet appearance in two years, attending the 25th Annual Race to Erase MS Gala.

“I haven’t been able to come to one of these events for a few years. I’ve been tucked away and hibernating and healing, and it’s very up and down,” she told E News.

But with Avril out of the spotlight for so long, the internet went wild, crafting an elaborate conspiracy theory that claimed the singer had died in 2003 and been replaced by a lookalike actress called Melissa.

The conspiracy theory, which began on a Brazilian Avril Lavigne fan page, claims the ‘Sk8er Boi’ singer died after beginning her second album.

But although the theory has been debunked as a morbid joke, to this day, some people remain convinced that Avril is really “Melissa”.

Much like the conspiracy theory, Avril’s relationships have also dominated the headlines – even more so than her music has.

At 19 years old, she started dating Sum 41 musician Deryck Whibley before the pair married in 2006. Three years later, Avril filed for divorce.

Shortly after, she married her second husband, Nickleback front man Chad Kroeger, who was 10 years older.

The pair separated in 2015, but their divorce is reportedly not finalised.

Since splitting from Kroeger, the singer has also dated Caitlyn Jenner's son, Brody Jenner.