Mod Sun Honors Late Ex-Girlfriend Sahara Ray in Heartfelt Tribute
The musician described the late model as "pure magic" and "a true love of mine" in an emotional Instagram post.
Musician Mod Sun is remembering his former girlfriend, model Sahara Ray, who died at age 34. In an emotional Instagram Reel shared Wednesday, Sun, whose real name is Derek Ryan Smith, called Ray “pure magic” and “a true love of mine."
“She could turn any moment into art,” Smith wrote in the post, which featured a video of Ray with a monarch butterfly on her hand. “She walked into a room + all the sudden it was vibrant."
Smith shared that he and Ray shared the same birthday, which he felt symbolized a deep connection. He described her as “everyone’s muse” and the “ETERNAL IT GIRL."
“When I was with her it was the most free I ever felt,” he continued. “She was my inspiration before, during, + long after we dated. She was a true love of mine. She just saw life differently. I really do think she was just too special for this world.”
Ray, who dated Smith in 2023, reportedly died on Sunday in Los Angeles after suffering an apparent fentanyl overdose. She was 34.
Ray’s death occurred months after she welcomed her first child, a daughter named Snow, in January with Michael Bradley Dow. The model had previously dated Justin Bieber and Cody Simpson. She was the daughter of surfer Tony Ray and real estate agent Gretchen Gia Bach.
Ray’s sister, Ruby, remembered her as a “force of nature” whose personality left a lasting impression on those who knew her.