What Happened to Avril Lavigne? Singer Publishes Emotional Letter To Fans About Her Sickness

A day after Avril Lavigne teased her new music video by sharing a picture that showed her underwater, the singer tweeted a letter to her fans. They seemingly flocked to read the message, but her website crashed.

Within minutes, the site came back. The singer revealed she had a release date for her music after going on a hiatus for five years. During that time, she was fighting Lyme disease.

"Those were the worst years of my life as I went through both physical and emotional battles. I was able to turn that fight into music I'm really proud of," she told her fans. "I wrote songs in my bed and on the couch and recorded there mostly as well. Words and lyrics that were so true to my experience came pouring out of me effortlessly. Truly... by keeping my spirits up, having goals to reach and a purpose to live for, my music helped to heal me and keep me alive."

Lavigne thanked her fans for sticking by her side, explaining why she wrote "Head Above Water."

"I felt like I was drowning. Like I was going underwater and I just needed to come up for air," the "Sk8ter Boi" singer explained. "Like I was in a river being pulled in a current. Unable to breathe. Praying to God for Him to help me just keep my head above the water. To help me see through the stormy weather."

Ultimately, she said the experience helped her be more honest than ever. She also talked about the danger of her disease. "A single bug bite can fuck you up hard. People aren't aware that Lyme must be treated almost immediately. Often if they are aware, they go untreated simply because they can't get a Lyme diagnosis!" Lavigne wrote. "And even when they do get a diagnosis, a lot of times they simply can't afford the treatment."

Previously, the singer took to Instagram to talk about her new project. "That's a wrap after 7 days of shooting," the singer wrote August 25. "[Director Elliott Lester], you're brilliant and insane and I love you. Thank you for going above and beyond and seeing my vision and bringing it to life. I've been planning this video for over two years. I'm so passionate about this record, and my first video that will relay my story. Thank you to the crew and everyone on Team Lavigne for busting your butts to make this all come together."