Sahara Ray’s tragic passing at 34 has left people revisiting her turbulent love life with popular faces in the music and entertainment industry. While the relationships didn’t last, the model seems to have left a lasting influence on some of their lives beyond romance, as she did for Mod Sun.
The musician, whose real name is Derek Ryan Smith, is remembering his ex-girlfriend with a heartbreaking tribute. In an emotional Instagram post, he called Ray “pure magic” and a “true love of mine”, reflecting on their relationship and the lasting impact she had on his life.
Mod Sun remembers his ‘true love,’ Sahara Ray, in an emotional tribute
Sahara Ray died in Los Angeles on Sunday, October 18, 2026, according to reports. Her official cause of death has not been publicly confirmed. On Wednesday, October 21, 2026, Mod Sun shared an Instagram Reel featuring Ray playing with a monarch butterfly that landed on her hand. In the video, the model gently moved the butterfly between her fingers and nose as it fluttered its wings. Mod wrote:
“This is who Sahara was in this world. Pure magic. She could turn any moment into art. She walked into a room + all the sudden it was vibrant.”
The musician also reflected on sharing the same birthday as Sahara. For him, that coincidence made their relationship feel especially meaningful. He wrote that it “always felt like we were sharing the same soul somehow,” before describing Ray as “everyone’s muse” and revealing that he affectionately called her the “ETERNAL IT GIRL.”
Mod Sun also looked back on the time they spent together, including trips to Hawaii, Big Sur and Minnesota. He said being with Ray made him feel freer than he had ever felt. He explained:
“When I was with her, it was the most free I ever felt. She was my inspiration before, during, + long after we dated. She was a true love of mine.”
He added that Ray had a unique way of looking at life and her relationship with nature. “She just saw life differently,” he said. The singer believes she was “just too special for this world,” as he remembers her magical personality. In another emotional passage, Mod Sun remembered her smile, laugh, and sense of style, describing how she would dance around a room while putting together outfits. He continued:
“I’ll never forget that smile + that laugh + the way I would watch you dance around the room while effortlessly putting together the most amazing outfits. No amount of words could ever do justice to how pure you were. Life will never be the same without your energy.”
He ended the tribute with an emotional final message to Ray: “I love you, Hara…I always have + I always will. Save a spot for me in the forest, angel.”
Click here to see the post.
Sahara Ray and Mod Sun were romantically linked in 2023, following the musician’s split from Avril Lavigne. The former couple made a public appearance together in November 2023 at designer Ashton Michael’s 10th anniversary runway show in Los Angeles. They were again spotted together in Malibu in June 2024.
Although details of their relationship and eventual separation largely remained private, Mod Sun’s tribute makes clear that he continued to hold Ray in deep affection after they stopped dating.
What happened to Sahara Ray?
Sahara Ray was an Australian model and the daughter of professional surfer Tony Ray and real estate agent Gretchen Gia Bach. Before Mod, she was also linked to Justin Bieber and Cody Simpson. In recent years, the model had stepped away from the public eye. Her death came just months after she welcomed her first child, a daughter named Snow, in January 2026. Ray’s final Instagram post, shared in July 2026, featured photographs of her little girl.
Sahara Ray had been publicly battling Guillain-Barré syndrome, a rare neurological disorder she developed in 2024 following a serious car accident. Amid speculation of suicide, reports have also suggested that she may have suffered a fentanyl overdose.
Sahara Ray’s cause of death remains under investigation and hasn’t been determined.
Image courtesy: Instagram
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