Avril Lavigne’s Ex-Fiancé Mod Sun Breaks His Silence About Split

Rapper Mod Sun confirmed his breakup from his ex-fiancée Avril Lavigne, writing that his heart is “broken” after they called off their engagement earlier this month. Lavigne, 38, and Mod Sun, 35, got engaged in April 2022. Sources told TMZ on Feb. 21 the engagement was over, just a day after the website published photos of the “Sk8er Boi” singer hanging out with Tyga.

“In 1 week my entire life completely changed…I just know there’s a plan for it all,” Mod Sun, whose real name is Derek Ryan Smith, wrote on Instagram Tuesday. “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. I have the best friends in the entire world, thanks for always having my back. See you on stage.” He included several photos of himself performing, and his post was flooded with well-wishes from fans.

Lavigne was spotted with Tyga outside NOBU in Los Angeles, TMZ reported on Feb. 20. Although they were with friends, the two left in the same car. Sources told the site that they have been “hanging out together a lot lately,” but it was later reported that they are simply good friends.

The day after TMZ published the photos, sources told TMZ Lavigne called off the engagement with Mod Sun. Their relationship had been “on and off” in recent months, according to the sources, and they tried to stay together. It did not work out, and they split. It’s unclear what led to the split, but sources told TMZ that cheating was not involved. They “have been on and off for the past two months, but are no longer together as a couple,” another source told PEOPLE.

Mod Sun’s representative told TMZ he was caught off-guard by the news. “They were together and engaged as of 3 days ago when he left for [a] tour so if anything has changed that’s news to him,” the rep said. Meanwhile, Lavigne has not commented on the split at all, even though she posted new photos from Paris Fashion Week on Tuesday.

Mod Sun and Lavigne worked on the hit “Flames” and started dating the same month the song was released in 2021. They got engaged in April 2022 in Paris. “It was the most perfect, romantic proposal I could ever ask for,” Lavigne told PEOPLE after the engagement. “We were in Paris on a boat in the Seine River. We had a violin player, champagne, and roses. It felt like time stood still, and it was just the two of us in the moment.”