My Momma Told Me: “Cloning Celebrities” (with Nicole Byer)

Podcast: My Momma Told Me by Big Money Players Network & iHeartPodcasts
Date: April 7, 2026
Hosts: Langston Kerman & David Gborie
Guest: Nicole Byer

Episode Overview

This episode of My Momma Told Me dives into the eccentric, hilarious, and sometimes uncomfortably plausible Black conspiracy theory that celebrities are being cloned. Langston Kerman, David Gborie, and special guest Nicole Byer unpack the now infamous Avril Lavigne “clone” theory, explore similar allegations within pop culture, and riff on the philosophical, political, and personal implications of celebrity replacement. Sprinkled with personal stories about fashion, body image, and identity, the conversation balances playful banter, absurd hypotheticals, and moments of thoughtful insight.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Fashion, Identity, and the Art of Being “Fresh”

Timestamps: 05:05 – 16:00

• Langston discusses his personal struggle to dress “fresh” as an adult Black man
  He recounts situations where his clothing choices made him feel insecure or out-of-place, like being outshined by his brother at a fashion show or feeling like a little boy at the gym.

  • “I struggle with the day to day in and out mechanics of being fresh. And that's tough for me.” – Langston (05:09)

• Nicole and David offer practical advice and commiseration

  • Nicole suggests finding a uniform and experimenting with silhouettes:
    • “You gotta just treat yourself. Go shopping, try on a bunch of shit and figure out what silhouettes look good on you.” – Nicole (10:48)
  • They joke about male and female brands' sizing and lament the challenges of updating a wardrobe during body changes.

• Fashion hot takes:

  • The reality of classic pieces versus trend-chasing.
  • Uniform dressing as both aspiration and safe haven.
  • “Polo, Ralph Lauren, shout out to what they’ve done. Give me some money for the big guy community.” – Langston (12:47)

2. Intro to the Celebrity Cloning Conspiracy

Timestamps: 17:47 – 26:55

• Nicole lays out the Avril Lavigne/Melissa Vandella theory

  • Avril allegedly died in 2015 and was replaced by a lookalike named Melissa, who had trained to act like her. Nicole supplies remarkable detail.
    • “Avril Lavigne was replaced, I believe, in 2015 by a woman named Melissa.” – Nicole (18:08)
    • “The theory is that Avril Lavigne killed herself in, like, 2015… and then Avril taught her how to perform like her.” – Nicole (18:40)

• Debate over clone vs. body double

  • David and Langston clarify: is it a clone or just a swap?
  • Evidence cited: “Melissa” written on Avril’s hand in a 2004 photo—Nicole muses the body double might’ve tried to “let people know.”

• Comparison to 'The Talented Mr. Ripley'

  • They reference movie plots and real-life doppelgängers to question the plausibility and mechanics of the theory.

Notable Moment:

• “She was a body double for Avril Lavigne. She would go over there… TMZ would be like, 'Avril, Avril!' and she’d run. And then Avril could have a normal afternoon.” – David (22:06)

3. Is Celebrity Cloning a Pattern?

Timestamps: 25:57 – 36:00

• Other possible clones & celebrity lookalikes

  • Discussion expands: Gucci Mane’s buff transformation, Jim Carrey’s recent changes, and rumors about Pharrell, Gabrielle Union, Keanu Reeves, and Beyoncé never aging.
  • Examples of non-celeb, lookalike situations: Forest Whitaker’s almost-identical brother, the hosts’ own supposed doppelgängers.
    • “Forest Whitaker has a brother who is almost indistinguishable.” – David (26:26)

• Hilarious riff: what would you do if you could swap places with your celebrity lookalike?

  • “What if you just abandon your career and assume his identity?” – Nicole (28:38)
  • The group riffs on the risk of sending stand-ins to red carpet events (ex: Hannibal Buress at Spiderman).

4. The Motive Behind Celebrity Cloning

Timestamps: 45:52 – 47:00

• Why would “the powers that be” clone celebrities? Nicole and the crew theorize:
  • Capitalism as the root motive:
    • “I think the point of the clones is to continue to make money.” – Nicole (45:52)
    • Langston and David cite how Prince fought to keep control of his image and work, yet was posthumously commodified.
    • “Let people be dead. Let people go away.” – Nicole (46:56)

5. Exploring the Societal & Political Ramifications

Timestamps: 54:48 – 56:46

• Could clones be exploited as workers?

  • Nicole raises the concern clone technology could enable modern slavery.
    • “I see a world where there are clones and they’re little worker bees. Cause they’re not people.” – Nicole (54:48)
    • David points out “slave exists more today” and society justifies it in new ways (55:23)

• Ethics and slippery slopes:

  • Joking anxiety arises about making slave clones black:
    • “If they start cloning people and then the slave clones are still black… that’s who I’m killing, bro.” – Langston (56:16)

6. Personal Fears: Would You Want or Expect to Be Cloned?

Timestamps: 54:05 – 54:48

• Humorous humility
  • All agree, “I don’t think I’m that important.” – Nicole (54:05)
  • “Nobody’s ever gonna be like, you know what we really need more of? Whammul and blammul jokes.” – Langston (54:12)

7. Hilarious Hypotheticals & Memorable Moments

Timestamps: 57:00 – 63:02

• Who would you want cloned?

  • Bernie Mac, Biggie, Robin Harris, and even Langston’s grandma get nominated for cloning, sparking philosophical questions about identity, memory, and free will.
    • “Would you really want your grandma to be cloned? Because … that’s not your grandma anymore. That’s just a woman who looks like your grandma.” – Nicole (59:19)
    • “What if your grandma came back as a clone and was like, ‘I don’t like you’?” – Nicole (59:58)
    • Jokes about “MAGA Bernie Mac” – Langston (60:48)

• Dangers of improving a clone too much

  • “Part of what made Bernie Mac funny was that that eye could float away at any time… if you start making Bernie Mac with two straight eyes, it's not the real Bernie Mac.” – David (61:34)

8. Listener Voicemail: Drunk Couple vs. the Monks

Timestamps: 67:08 – 75:08

• A very drunk couple leaves a voicemail theorizing that monks have journeyed through their city, but instead of bringing peace, have brought “more drama than the Real Housewives of Atlanta.”

  • The hosts and Nicole delight in dissecting the wild logic, marital dynamics, and probable scenario behind the call—complete with loving mockery and a breakdown of drunken couple etiquette.
    • “You ever get drunk with your girl and wanna make prank calls?” – Langston (69:57)
    • “It’s just so funny to be like, monks came over and they didn’t make it more peaceful. What do they think monks do?” – Nicole (71:17)

• The trio affirms the value of partner “drunk time” and shares their own stories.

Notable Quotes

• On capitalist motives for cloning:

  • “I think the point of the clones is to continue to make money.” – Nicole Byer (45:52)

• On Avril Lavigne theory:

  • “Melissa was like, sad or like upset about the ruse and was like trying to tell people.” – Nicole Byer (21:53)

• On fashion discomfort:

  • “Fashion at its core is putting on something…that makes me a little bit uncomfortable.” – David Gborie (11:49)

• On ethical cloning:

  • “If they start cloning people and then the slave clones are still Black… that's who I'm killing, bro.” – Langston Kerman (56:16)

• On not fearing personal cloning:

  • “I don’t think I’m that important.” – Nicole Byer (54:05)

• On ‘MAGA Bernie Mac’:

  • “Just cloned MAGA Bernie Mac as a concept is the funniest thing in the world.” – Langston Kerman (62:08)

Episode Highlights by Timestamp

• 05:05 – Langston opens up about his “being fresh” struggles.
• 10:48 – Nicole’s advice on finding your “silhouette.”
• 18:08 – Nicole introduces the Avril Lavigne replacement theory.
• 22:06 – On the use of body doubles to distract paparazzi.
• 25:00 – Nicole, David, and Langston compare celeb doppelgängers.
• 45:52 – Discussion on the real purpose of cloning: keep money machines running.
• 54:48 – Nicole's dystopian vision: clones as ethical loopholes for slavery.
• 59:19 – Nicole questions if you’d really want your grandma cloned.
• 67:08 – 75:08 – Extended riff responding to a drunk couple’s voicemail about “problematic monks.”
• 62:08 – Langston riffs on the absurdity of right-wing “MAGA Bernie Mac” as a cloned version.

Tone & Style

The conversation is comedic, fast-paced, and irreverent, yet peppered with genuine curiosity and occasional sincere reflection. The hosts and guest expertly blend absurd hypothetical situations with social critique, drawing comedy from both pop culture minutiae and big, existential “what-ifs.”

Conclusion

This episode is a quintessential installment of My Momma Told Me, perfectly balancing a deep-dive into a wild Black conspiracy theory (celebrity cloning) with personal anecdotes, pop culture analysis, and long, hilarious tangents. It’s a rollicking ride through the absurd, the plausible, and the thought-provoking, guaranteeing laughter and at least a seed of doubt about who’s really performing on the red carpet … or in your favorite sitcom.