Mod Sun is remembering Sahara Ray‘s light.
Three days after the model died at age 34, the “Flames” singer shared a touching tribute to his ex, who he dated in 2023 following his split from Avril Lavigne.
“This is who Sahara was in this world. Pure magic,” he wrote on Instagram alongside a video of her holding a monarch butterfly. “She could turn any moment into art. She walked into a room + all the sudden it was vibrant.”
Sun (real name Derek Ryan Smith) went on to detail his connection with Ray, whose death comes just months after she welcomed baby girl Snow in January.
“It always felt like we were sharing the same soul somehow,” Sun said in the Oct. 21 post. “She was everyone’s muse + I always called her the ‘ETERNAL IT GIRL.'”
He explained that their bond deepened during trips to Hawaii, Minnesota and Big Sur, Calif. and lasted long after their split.