Sahara Ray’s ex Mod Sun remembers Aussie model after tragic death at 34
Sahara Ray’s ex Mod Sun is remembering the model and daughter of Australian surf legend Tony Ray as “pure magic” just days after her sudden death.
The 34-year-old’s family confirmed she died in a Los Angeles hospital surrounded by loved ones earlier this week. Now ex-boyfriend musician Mod Sun, born Derek Smith, has paid tribute to Sahara in an emotional social media post.
Sahara Ray’s ex Mod Sun shared a clip of the model enamoured by a butterfly as he remembered her as a “force of nature”. Instagram/@modsun
“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,” Mod Sun wrote.
He shared his touching words alongside a video of Sahara touching a butterfly accompanied by the song Sun to Me by Zach Bryan.
He recalled the pair sharing the same birthday and said it made him feel like they share the same soul.
“She was everyone’s muse + I always called her the ‘ETERNAL IT GIRL’. We took trips to Hawaii, Big Sur, Minnesota, + when I was with her it was the most free I ever felt. She was my inspiration before, during, + long after we dated,” he wrote.
Mod Sun (middle) and Sahara Ray (right) pictured at her last public appearance at 10th anniversary runway show for designer Ashton Michael in Los Angeles in 2023. Getty
Mod Sun called Sahara a “true love” of his and was captured by the way she saw life differently.
“I really do think she was just too special for this world. Everyone knew she was a magical fairy. She had a connection to nature I’ve never seen before. 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. I love you Hara…I always have + I always will. Save a spot for me in the forest angel,” he concluded.
The pair were first linked in July 2023, about five months after Mod Sun ended his engagement to Avril Lavigne.
Sahara and Mod Sun made a public appearance together in November 2023 as they attended the 10th anniversary runway show for designer Ashton Michael in Los Angeles.
The exact timeline of Sahara Ray and Mod Sun’s relationship isn’t known, though the pair were first linked in July 2023, five months after Mod Sun ended his engagement to Avril Lavigne. Instagram/@sahara_ray/@modsun
They were spotted together again in Malibu in June 2024, though not much is known about the timeline of their relationship or their split as they kept their romance mostly out of the public eye.
Sahara leaves behind her 10-month-old daughter Snow Ray Dow. Michael Bradley Dow, 38, is reportedly listed as Snow’s father on her birth certificate.
Sahara’s official cause of death is yet to be publicly released, however there are reports that she suffered a fentanyl overdose.
She had stepped away from the public eye in recent years, making her last appearance three years ago.
Sahara Ray with her daughter Snow, who was born in January 2026. Instagram/@sahara_ray
In 2024, Sahara opened up about battling Guillain-Barré syndrome, a rare neurological disorder she discussed after a serious car accident.
Aside from her relationship with Mod Sun and her daughter’s father Michael Bradley Dow, Sahara was also romantically linked to Justin Bieber and Cody Simpson between 2015 and 2016.
Her relationship with ex Chris Miles was also largely documented online though their romance was largely characterised as turbulent.
