Avril Lavigne recalls meeting Eminem backstage at 2002 MTV VMA

After more than two decades in the music industry, Avril Lavigne has shaped a career and image uniquely her own. As the 39-year-old Canadian singer recalled in her rETrospective, it was that way from the start, down to the bag of personal accessories she brought along to her first photo shoots. She also recalled meeting Eminem for the first time backstage at 2002 MTV Video Music Awards.

“This was my first award show… We are backstage and it is like a million people around and Eminem walking up to me and like shaking my hand. Meeting him and him knowing who I was and walking towards me, saying ‘what’s up’ and shaking my hand and he’s like ‘yo, I respect you, your music’s cool.’ I almost s–t in my pants. I was like ‘WHAT IS HAPPENING?!'” – said Avril Lavigne.

The 2002 MTV Video Music Awards aired live on August 29, 2002. The show was hosted by Jimmy Fallon at the Radio City Music Hall in New York City. Eminem was most awarded artist at the show as Slim Shady took 4 awards to home, including Video Of The Year, Best Male Video, Best Rap Video and Best Direction In The Video for “Without Me,” which was directed by Joseph Kahn.

Em was also nominated for Best Editing in a Video and Viewer’s Choice but lost to The White Stripes and Michelle Branch. That night, Eminem also performed two singles, “White America” and “Cleanin’ Out My Closet” from his blockbuster album, The Eminem Show.