A topless protester with messages scrawled on her body accosted Canadian singer-songwriter Avril Lavigne while introducing an artist onstage.
Lavigne was just about to call onstage Canadian singer AP Dhillon at the award ceremony when the protester came on with a “Save the Green Belt” message written on her body, prompting Lavigne to confront her.
The “Girlfriend” singer, who recently made her relationship with American rapper Tyga public, won the Fan Choice Award later that day at the ceremony.
Read on for more details.
Avril Lavigne Confronts Topless Onstage Protester
Lavigne, 38, made an appearance at the 2023 Juno Awards and was introducing an artist when an unidentified woman climbed onto the stage and interrupted proceedings. Lavigne was getting ready to introduce AP Dhillon, the first Punjabi artist to perform at the award, for his performance.
A topless woman interrupted Avril Lavigne onstage at The JUNO Awards:
“Get the fuck off, bitch!” #JUNOS pic.twitter.com/XzyCw2Qeft
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) March 14, 2023
The message “Save the Green Belt” was written on the back of the topless protester. It was reportedly intended to draw attention to a recent, contentious housing development plan the government launched in Ontario.
Lavigne initially didn’t pay attention and tried to continue her speech, but had it up to her neck when the protester persisted, to which she uttered, “Get the f**k off, b*tch.”
Security then came to her aid as they escorted the overly excited-looking protester off stage. Fans praised her for handling the awkward situation like a pro.
Avril Lavigne Picked Up An Award That Evening
At the ceremony later that night, the “Love It When You Hate Me” singer won the Fan Choice Award, making it the fourth time she has received the coveted honor overall, according to E! News.
“Now nobody try anything this time,” she said as she gave her acceptance speech, as seen in videos shared on social media. “Or the Canadian will come out in me, and I’ll f**k a b**ch up.”
In the fan choice award category, Lavigne competed against other artists like Tate McRae, The Reklaws, Lauren Spencer-Smith, Preston Pablo, Preston Porter, Rêve, Shawn Mendes, and The Weeknd.
Other winners for the night include The Weeknd for album of the year with “Dawn FM,” Preston Pablo for breakthrough artist of the year, TOBi for rap album/EP of the year, and Jessie Reyez for contemporary R&B recording of the year.
Host for the night, Marvel’s “Shang-Chi” star Simon Liu, heaped praises on Lavigne for “handling that topless lady like a champion.”
She Thanked Her Fans
Thanks to my amazing fans for voting for the TikTok Juno Fan Choice Award. This is my 10th Juno Award and 4th Fan Choice Award. Let’s keep rocking and cheers to the next 20 years!
P.S. – “Get the fuck off bitch!” @TheJUNOAwards @TikTokCanada pic.twitter.com/tlhPyD9hw9
— Avril Lavigne (@AvrilLavigne) March 14, 2023
The “Complicated” singer took to social media to express her gratitude to her fans for voting for her to win the coveted prize.
She posted a photo of herself holding the trophy to Twitter and captioned it, “Thanks to my amazing fans for voting for the TikTok Juno Fan Choice Award. This is my 10th Juno Award and 4th Fan Choice Award. Let’s keep rocking, and cheers to the next 20 years! P.S. – ‘Get the f**k off b**ch!'”
In addition to sending her congratulations, some of her fans also commented on the topless protester incident, stating that it is significant.
“She was a Land Back and Green Belt activist… why not give her some props instead?” One fan questioned her.
Another unhappy fan remarked, “Imagine using your platform to amplify the voices of oppressed people, instead of celebrating bringing them down.”
Avril Lavigne Is Dating Tyga After Mod Sun Romance
During a recently held Paris fashion week event, Lavigne and Tyga, 33, seemingly confirmed their budding romance as they were photographed packing on heavy PDA.
The “Bite Me” singer and the “Taste” rapper were heavily rumored to be dating, but after they were captured in a passionate kiss, those rumors were put to rest.
Tyga was wearing loose-fitting clothing as he warmed up to her by putting his arm around her neck, holding her face, and staring at her intently.
Lavigne, on the other hand, wore a baggy hoodie that covered her upper body and thigh-high boots.
The couple engaged in an intense kissing session without paying attention to the people around them. Later, as they passed through the crowd, they held hands and grinned broadly.
Prior to her blooming romance with Tyga, Lavigne was in a relationship with indie artist Mod Sun for over two years. It came to an abrupt end when Lavigne called off their engagement to the shock of fans and possibly Mod Sun himself.
