The internet coming up with outrageous conspiracy theories is nothing new, but accusing celebrities of being cloned is undoubtedly a whole new level.
Most recently, Jim Carrey, much to his dismay, has been at the center of the eye-rolling conversation. All because fans were convinced the Dumb and Dumber actor had been replaced by a clone due to his appearance at the César Awards in Paris, where he was being honored.
It’s important to note that these theories are baseless and have no evidence supporting them. But when has that ever stopped the internet from running with it? If your answer was “never,” you’d be correct.
The theories stemmed from fans online claiming the actor’s face looked different in clips coming out of the César Awards. And then a decades-old clip of Carrey on Late Night With David Letterman, where he said he uses decoys to fool paparazzi, resurfaced, only adding fuel to the fire.
César Awards organizers quickly shut down the rumors on Monday, with the general delegate of the César Awards, Gregory Caulier, saying in a statement, “Jim Carrey’s visit has been planned since this summer.” He also called the theories a “non-issue,” adding, “I just remember his generosity, his kindness, his benevolence, his elegance.”
For an additional layer of confirmation, the actor’s personal rep also told TMZ, “Jim Carrey attended the César Awards, where he accepted his honorary César Award.”
But Carrey isn’t the first celebrity to find themselves dragged into the commotion. Pop-punk artist Avril Lavigne has been battling clone conspiracy theories for years.
Fans claim that Lavigne was replaced by a lookalike named Melissa Vandella after dying more than 20 years ago. While there’s no legitimate proof for the theory, the rumor reportedly ignited in 2011 because of a Brazilian fan page called “Avril Está Morta” (“Avril Is Dead”), alleging that Vandella was hired at the height of Lavigne’s fame to distract photographers but ultimately replaced the “Complicated” singer following her death.
Lavigne is very much alive, and she actually laughs at the rumors, telling Alex Cooper on her Call Her Daddy podcast in 2024, “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, you know, there’s a conspiracy theory that I’m not me.”
While the “Sk8er Boi” singer called the theories “so dumb” because “obviously I am me,” she also said things could be worse.
“I feel like I got a good one,” she added. “I don’t think it’s, like, negative. It’s nothing creepy.”
That may be Lavigne’s perspective, but for other stars, like Selena Gomez, the conspiracy theories can derive from something much more personal and sensitive.
Some fans have alleged that the “Lose You to Love Me” singer was replaced with a body double to maintain her brand after she underwent a kidney transplant in 2017 due to lupus and died after complications (Gomez did undergo a kidney transplant but is very much alive and currently married to Benny Blanco). People have cited a perceived change in appearance and mannerisms in recent years to try and back up their claims.
On a darker note, theories escalated when an unverified screenshot of an email allegedly linked to Jeffrey Epstein surfaced online, which included the line “decided about Selena.” However, the alleged email has not been authenticated and does not confirm that the “Selena” being referenced is Gomez. There are also no records of the “Bluest Flame” singer being connected to Epstein.
Gomez has never directly addressed the conspiracy theories, but has been open about how her condition impacts her physically and emotionally. “My lupus, my kidney transplant, chemotherapy, having a mental illness, going through very public heartbreaks — these were all things that honestly should have taken me down,” she told Elle magazine in 2021,” but would remind herself, “‘You’re going to help people.’ … That’s really what kept me going.”
She also reportedly addressed her appearance during a previous TikTok livestream, saying that she tends “to hold a lot of water weight” when taking certain medication.
Since lupus is an autoimmune condition, it causes chronic inflammation in many parts of the body, including joints, skin, kidneys, blood cells, brain, heart and lungs, according to the Mayo Clinic. Medical professionals have also said treatments and medications, such as immunosuppressants, as well as natural aging, can affect one’s appearance and weight.
Unfortunately, social media trolls commenting on a woman’s body, especially someone in the spotlight like Gomez, is nothing new, as women constantly have unrealistic expectations placed on them.
But all the online discourse surrounding celebrity clones also begs the question: Why are people so obsessed with conspiracy theories to begin with?
According to research published by the American Psychological Association in 2023, “People can be prone to believe in conspiracy theories due to a combination of personality traits and motivations, including relying strongly on their intuition, feeling a sense of antagonism and superiority toward others and perceiving threats in their environment.”
Shauna Bowes, a clinical psychologist and the lead author on the study, also wrote, “Conspiracy theorists are not all likely to be simple-minded, mentally unwell folks — a portrait which is routinely painted in popular culture. Instead, many turn to conspiracy theories to fulfill deprived motivational needs and make sense of distress and impairment.”
At the end of the day, people are going to believe what they want to believe. But remember, you probably shouldn’t trust just anything you read on the internet, especially without credible evidence.
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