Julie Bowen, the actress who played Claire Dunphy on the hit ABC sitcom Modern Family, has revealed that she helped her onscreen daughter Sarah Hyland get out of an abusive relationship in real life. Bowen made the revelation on the “The Skinny Confidential Him & Her Podcast” on Monday, June 3.
Hyland, who played the eldest Dunphy daughter Haley on the show, was granted a restraining order against her ex-boyfriend Matt Prokop in 2014 after accusing him of physical and verbal abuse during their five-year relationship. Bowen said that she was there to support Hyland during a difficult time, and even helped her “peacefully end the relationship.”
According to court documents obtained by TMZ at the time, Hyland claimed that Prokop once pinned her against a car and choked her, leaving her with a sore throat. She also said that she enlisted Bowen’s help to break up with Prokop, and that Bowen witnessed Prokop throw a lighter at Hyland during the confrontation.
On the podcast, Bowen said that she didn’t just help Hyland, but also her other onscreen children, Ariel Winter (Alex Dunphy) and Nolan Gould (Luke Dunphy). She said that she looks at them all like her own kids and would do anything to protect them.
Modern Family aired for 11 seasons from 2009 to 2020 on ABC, and the show’s cast has remained close over the years. Bowen’s revelation is just the latest example of the strong bond between the cast members, who have often spoken about the support they’ve given each other both on and off set.
