Sealed With a Kiss! Avril Lavigne and BF Mod Sun Pack on PDA at 2021 MTV Video Music Awards

Living in the moment! Avril Lavigne and her boyfriend, Mod Sun (real name: Derek Ryan Smith), packed on the PDA while hitting the red carpet at the 2021 MTV Video Music Awards.

The couple kissed and sweetly embraced as they posed for photographers outside of the star-studded Barclays Center in New York City on Sunday, September 12. 

Avril, 36, wore a pink plaid blazer and bottoms paired with a sparkling bustier while her green-haired beau, 34, opted for a patch-covered suit with a matching tie and sunglasses.

“The VMAs hold a very special place in my heart because this is where I won my very first award ever, a Moon Man for best new artist,” Avril said while being interviewed, recalling her accomplishment in 2002. She also shared some wisdom with fellow artists looking to find their own claim to fame, adding, “My advice is always just be like true to. yourself, and follow your heart and have as much fun as possible. Yeah, be true to yourself, do your thing.”

Fans were excited to see Avril making an appearance at the 2021 VMAs ahead of her presenter duties, considering she last graced the red carpet in January 2020 for the Recording Academy’s pre-Grammys gala.

This summer, the “Sk8er Boi” singer and Mod Sun were spotted out and about together heading to a pal’s house in Calabasas, California. Avril and the “Karma” musician started dating in early 2021, and they also collaborated musically on a track titled “Flames” in January.

Avril previously gushed over how they “had an immediate connection from the first day in the studio,” telling People about their relationship and collaboration in April. “He’s an incredible artist and producer. This is the first of many.”

The performer made her highly anticipated return to music in 2018, having shed light on why she took some time off from the spotlight. 

“I spent the last few years at home sick fighting Lyme Disease. Those were the worst years of my life as I went through both physical and emotional battles. I was able to turn that fight into music I’m really proud of,” she wrote on her website that September. “I wrote songs in my bed and on the couch and recorded there mostly as well. Words and lyrics that were so true to my experience came pouring out of me effortlessly. Truly … by keeping my spirits up, having goals to reach and a purpose to live for, my music helped to heal me and keep me alive.”