Mod Sun is looking back on his high-profile engagement to Avril Lavigne and how the aftermath has helped him grow personally and creatively.
Appearing on the 6 November episode of Bunnie Xo’s Dumb Blonde podcast, the multi-genre artist spoke candidly about the end of their relationship, saying: “We’re two different people, but I think I had a great influence on her.” He added that the “Sk8er Boi” singer helped him “grow up” and that he is now more secure in his identity than ever before.
The former couple met in early 2021 while collaborating on music, and their joint single Flames was released just weeks later. A whirlwind romance followed, with Mod proposing in Paris in April 2022. Less than a year later, the pair called off the engagement in February 2023.
Though Lavigne has remained publicly silent on the split, Mod has been open about his feelings. In July 2023, he released the breakup track Strangers, with lyrics detailing the rise and fall of their relationship. The Paris-shot music video — filmed in the city where he proposed — added further emotional weight to the song.
On the podcast, Mod said that his perspective on the breakup has changed over time: “We’re two different people, but I think I had a great influence on her.”
He continued: “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?’”
He later added: “If we had done this talk three months ago, I might’ve been like, ‘F— that person,’ but now… If I run into you? It’s all love.”
Mod also reflected on the importance of empathy following the split, stating: “When someone does you wrong, stop thinking, ‘You did me dirty, and I’m out for revenge.’ Step in their position.”
Lavigne was briefly linked to rapper Tyga following the breakup, but the pair parted ways in mid-2023. Mod, meanwhile, focused on his tour and personal healing. “Being surrounded by love every night on tour has been an absolute blessing,” he wrote on Instagram shortly after the split. “I just know there’s a plan for it all.”