“Modern Family” alum Sarah Hyland is opening up.
On Thursday, when Hyland, 33, accepted Variety’s first Courage Award for her work in animal welfare and domestic abuse awareness, she told the outlet about her experience surviving domestic violence.
“For thousands of years now, we didn’t talk about it,” she said.
The former “Love Island” host continued, “The community hasn’t shared enough, I believe. And I feel that if we talk about it more, more women — and men and just human beings in general in abusive relationships — will feel more comfortable to be able to talk about it with their loved ones instead of letting their abuser isolate them from everyone, which is the first thing that they do, so that you don’t have that community.”
She added that “talking about it” is “really important.”
Hyland has previously credited her “Modern Family” mom, Julie Bowen, 54, with helping her deal with her alleged abusive relationship with her ex-boyfriend Matt Prokop.
While she didn’t name him, Hyland filed a restraining order against Prokop in September 2014.
The actress accused Prokop, 34, of choking her and threatening her during their relationship, which ended in August that year.
According to E! News, Hyland said in court docs that she called Bowen and told her to come to her house, which caused Prokop to flip out. Bowen allegedly convinced Prokop to leave Hyland’s home to protect her TV daughter.
Hyland was granted the restraining order against him in October 2014.
Bowen was on “The Skinny Confidential Him & Her Podcast” in June, and host Lauryn Bosstick told the actress that Hyland “gives you credit for saving her life after a violent relationship.”
“Aw, that’s very sweet of her,” Bowen responded.
She continued: “I was a responsible adult that happened to be around at the right time. I mean, I’m sure another responsible adult would have done the exact same thing. I just love her.”
Hyland has moved on with “Bachelor Nation” star Wells Adams, whom she married in 2022. Prokop was arrested in Texas in May after an alleged altercation with his girlfriend.
The “Modern Family” star told Variety that experiencing domestic violence stays “in that abused place of your soul, where you think it’s your fault the whole time and you could have done better, you could have gotten out sooner, you could have told people.”
Hyland said there comes a point where “you don’t wanna talk about it anymore. You want it to be done, and that’s that.”
“I completely understand the dissociation pattern of it,” she said. “I am very much guilty about it myself… until something happens where I’m triggered, and I didn’t realize that part of myself had been healed.”
Hyland said of overcoming the trauma: “I don’t know if that part [of] any woman will ever be fully healed from that. It’s something that kind of scars her soul a little bit. It’s more so putting love towards that scar instead of hating it and ignoring it.”
In a statement to Variety, Bowen said, “Without adversity, there can be no way to define one’s character and sense of self.”
She continued gushing over her former TV daughter, stating, “Sarah’s path has forced her, from a very early age, to take on challenges — both physical and emotional. She has met each moment with determination, grace, and vulnerability. I’m so proud that Variety is recognizing her strength and heart with the Courage Award.”
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or text START to 88788.
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