Mod Sun Speaks Out About the End of His Engagement to Avril Lavigne: 'We're Two Different People'
- - Mod Sun Speaks Out About the End of His Engagement to Avril Lavigne: 'We're Two Different People'
Charlotte PhillippNovember 8, 2025 at 12:10 AM
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Michael Kovac/Getty for for Huddy Love Bites EP and Birthday Party; Stephane Cardinale - Corbis/Corbis via Getty
Mod Sun; Avril Lavigne. -
Mod Sun is looking back on his short-lived engagement to Avril Lavigne
"We’re two different people, but I think I had a great influence on her," the musician said of Lavigne on Bunnie Xo's Dumb Blonde podcast
The couple got engaged in Paris in April 2022, and called off the engagement less than one year later
Mod Sun is looking back on his short-lived engagement to Avril Lavigne.
On the Thursday, Nov. 6 episode of Bunnie Xo's Dumb Blonde podcast, the Scary Kids Scaring Kids musician, 38, reflected on his one-year romance with the "Girlfriend" singer, 41.
"We met through a truly awesome label making music," the musician, born Derek Ryan Smith, said per E!, as the podcast is currently behind a paywall. "It was lovely. She was a true talent being around. I write and produce songs for other artists, so it was amazing coming up with an idea and seeing someone so f---ing talented sing it."
Mod and Lavigne met in January 2021 and released the collaborative single "Flames" within weeks. They were first romantically linked the following month and got engaged in Paris in April 2022.
"We're two different people, but I think I had a great influence on her," he continued. "I think she couldn't have had a more wonderful influence on me from the side of [helping me] grow up. Like now, I'm very secure of who I am, because I've been lost in the last three years of wondering, 'Where do I fit in?'"
Frazer Harrison/Getty for The Recording Academy
Avril Lavigne and Mod Sun in Las Vegas in April 2022
Less than a year after getting engaged, the two pop-punk musicians ended their relationship in February 2023, sources close to the couple confirmed to PEOPLE at the time.
According to the "Karma" singer, he's since been focused on trying to understand the split through an empathetic lens.
"I pray every single day, and in those prayers, I’m like, 'Just allow me to lead with empathy and be a shining light,'" Mod told Bunnie.
“My form of empathy is finally attached to being like, 'Dude, you’ve got to get outside of yourself. When someone does you wrong, stop thinking, "F--- them, you did me dirty, and I’m out for revenge."' It started being like, 'Step in their position,'" he continued.
The musician also added that he may not have been able to look back at his breakup from Lavigne in such a positive light a few months ago.
"If we had done this talk three months ago, I might've been like, 'F--- that person. I hope she hears this,'" he admitted. "But I’m now just like, ‘If I run into you? It’s all love. I hope you're well.'"
Cindy Ord/WireImage
Mod Sun in Newark in August 2022
The “Sk8ter Boi” singer has never publicly addressed the pair's breakup. Lavigne was later linked to rapper Tyga in March 2023, but the pair split just three months later.
Mod Sun has been candid about the split in the past. In July 2023, he dropped a new breakup song called "Strangers" that featured revealing lyrics about their romance, alongside a music video filmed in Paris — where he had proposed to Lavigne.
"Strangers" lyrics featured Mod reflecting on their relationship arc, as he sings about seeing the "Complicated" performer on television before they met, getting to know each other and quickly growing close.
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"I remember loving you before we ever met / Saw you on a TV then I met you through a friend / Then I started talking to you on the internet / Went from strangers to lovers to strangers again," sings the musician.
"Our first fight / I saw your true colors, your bad side / Pictures on the internet you can't hide / Soon as I go out of state, I'm out of mind," continued the song.
The same week as the breakup, Mod Sun also shared a public statement via Instagram, thanking his fans for standing by his side.
"In 1 week my entire life completely changed…I just know there's a plan for it all," he wrote. "I'll keep my head up + always listen to my heart, even when it feels broken 💔"
"Being surrounded by love every night on tour has been an absolute blessing," he continued, referencing his 2023 tour. "I have the best friends in the entire world, thanks for always having my back. See you on stage."
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
