Avril Lavigne's appearance at the 2023 Juno awards on Monday night did not go as the star had likely planned it to.
The music awards took place at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, and the event was hosted by Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings star Simu Liu.
Lavigne took to the stage to help introduce a performer when she was interrupted by a stage invader. Here is everything you need to know.
What Happened to Avril Lavigne at Junos? Star Goes Viral After Stage Invader
The Junos was being televised live on the CBC network, and Lavigne was introducing a performance by AP Dhillon when a protester stepped up onto the stage and took off their top.
The protester had the words "Save the Greenbelt" and "Land Back" written all over their body, and Lavigne continued with her introduction before turning to the protester and jokingly saying: "Get the f*** off, b****," as a security guard went to take them away from the stage.
The streaker was protesting Ontario's development of the Greenbelt, an initiative to build new housing that will lead to the removal of 7,400 acres of protected land.
CBC's televised broadcast saw the camera focus on Lavigne and try to avoid showing the protester as Lavigne tried to continue her introduction for AP Dhillon, at which point she turned to the protester and swore which was included in the live broadcast, per The Hollywood Reporter.
Per CBC News, later on in the show, Liu commended Lavigne for "handling that topless lady like a champion."
When Lavigne accepted the Juno Fan Choice Award she referenced the protester again by joking: "Now no one try anything this time, I'll f*** a b**** up."
Video footage of the event quickly went viral online, with one fan catching the moment on her phone and sharing it on social media.
The video was shared by media outlet Pop Crave, gaining over 1.2 million views as fans commented on Lavigne's reaction to the protester.
One person wrote: "She handled the situation well, but her whole security team should be fired because she could've gotten seriously hurt."
Referencing Lavigne's relaxed demeanor during the whole exchange, another person said: "The way [Avril] casually just turned around and saw the topless woman on stage and like didn't react in any way but saying the get the f*** off and laughing as if this is such a common experience queen"
One person added: "Any Avril fan can tell from her reaction & tone of voice that she wasn't being rude."
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