Mod Sun is looking back on his high-profile engagement to Avril Lavigne — and how the fallout helped him grow.
Appearing on the Nov. 6 episode of Bunnie Xo’s Dumb Blonde podcast, the multi-genre artist opened up about the relationship’s end with surprising clarity, 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’s 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” dropped 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 continued to speak openly. 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 same city where he proposed — added further emotional weight.
On the podcast, Mod said that his perspective on the breakup has shifted 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 added later, “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.”
He also spoke about developing greater empathy in the aftermath, saying, “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 split, but the pair separated in mid-2023. Mod, meanwhile, focused on his tour and healing. “Being surrounded by love every night on tour has been an absolute blessing,” he wrote on Instagram days after the breakup. “I just know there’s a plan for it all.”
This story originally appeared on Billboard
