Pop singer Avril Lavigne asked a fan to pray for her recently after revealing that she has some health issues that have yet to be disclosed.
The 30-year-old Canadian singer mentioned her health issues in a private Twitter message to @AvrilMusicChart where she explained her recent absense from the spotlight.
"I feel bad because I haven't been able to say anything to the fans to let them no why I've been absent. I'm torn as I'm quite private," the 30-year-old songstress sent in a private message to @AvrilMusicChart. "I'm not feeling well. I'm having some health issues. So please keep me in your prayers."
The Avril Lavigne fan Twitter account posted a screenshot of the exchange, and Lavigne's representative confirmed its authenticity. While the health issue could not be specified at this time, the rep did squash rumors that Lavigne may be pregnant.
Lavigne followed up the message exchange with a public note of her own. "Wanted to say thx to my fans for the support this past year!"
Since the exchange was made public, thousands of fans worldwide have been spreading the #PrayforAvril hashtag, showing a positive wave of solidarity for the pop star.
The singer's health issues, while mysterious, are no secret. She had been under the weather twice during her summer tour this year, posting on Twitter in mid-May that she was down for two weeks due to illness. Then in June, Lavigne was admitted to a hospital in Oklahoma City and had to cancel that evening's show.
"Hi. I ended up going to the hospital. I'm sorry I couldn't play last night. I'm resting and will do my best to get up for the show! Thank u," she tweeted. She was back on stage the following night in Kansas City.
Her last public appearance was back in September to celebrate her 30th birthday, and her last concert performance was in August during the Summer Soltice Music Festival in Japan, but she's been quiet ever since.
The entertainer's prayer request has many questioning her beliefs, but religion is not something she usually discusses in public. Lavigne began singing in her Ontario church, but never mentioned what type of church it was. According to a biography page, Avril's mother first recognized her daughter's talents during a rendition of "Jesus Loves Me" at the age of two.
"My mom said when I was two I came back from church singing 'Jesus Loves Me' and she said that she knew I was going to be a singer then, she called me her little songbird, so yeah, I always wanted to be a singer," Lavigne said in a 2011 interview.
While she may not discuss religion too often, Avril is not shy about her politics. "I don't believe war is a way to solve problems," she is quoted as saying. "I think it's wrong. I don't have respect for the people that made the decisions to go on with war."
She's also an avid philanthropist, involving herself with several charities, including Amnesty International, the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Make Some Noise, and she's even started her own charity in 2010 called The Avril Lavigne Foundation. Its aim is to help children with serious illnesses and disabilities.
