Are Avril Lavigne and Nate Smith Dating? Here’s What a Close Source Says

Could Nate Smith and pop-punk superstar Avril Lavigne by the newest cross-genre "it" couple? The two were spotted together in Los Angeles on Monday night (Jan. 29), but despite rumors, a source close to one of the artists says no way.

They're just friends.

The Hollywood Curtain and TMZ each shared separate paparazzi footage of Smith and Lavigne's hangout, which seems to have included an activity that's especially on-brand for the "Sk8er Boi" singer: They went skateboarding.

TMZ video shows Lavigne hopping out of the bed of a black pickup truck in a gas station parking lot, board in hand. Soon, Smith joins her, wearing his usual leather jacket and black ball cap. He's got a board, too, but it's clear that he's a novice skateboarder compared to Lavigne — she whizzes past him down the sidewalk as he hobbles behind her, steadying himself against the side of the truck.

Video from the Hollywood Curtain shows the pair emerging from Los Angeles steakhouse Catch Steak. It's not entirely clear whether or not the two videos were taken on the same night, although Smith and Lavigne appear to be wearing similar outfits — though Lavigne would have had to remove her black hooded sweatshirt before leaving dinner.

Per TMZ, Smith and Lavigne were simply out to dinner as friends and potentially to discuss new music projects.

It isn't entirely out of left field for Lavigne to be rubbing elbows with the country music community. At the 2023 CMA Fest, she and Miranda Lambert hopped onstage together to perform "Kerosene" and "Sk8er Boi." Lavigne was also on on the performers' list at the 2022 ACM Honors ceremony in Nashville; she paid tribute to fellow Canadian Shania Twain with a rendition of Twain's "No One Needs to Know."

As for Smith, he's currently climbing the country radio charts with his latest single, "World on Fire." That song follows his first No. 1 hit, "Whiskey on You."