What Happened To Modern Family Star Sarah Hyland?

This article includes references to domestic abuse.

"Modern Family" is one of those shows that rarely comes around and captivates the nation with its unique narrative structure. Of course, the show wouldn't have fared well had it not been for the incredibly talented cast that received 22 Primetime Emmy Awards and 75 nominations. People tuned in to watch their favorite characters' stories from week to week, though plenty of fans had their favorites.

One of the characters who seemed to be universally loved was Sarah Hyland's Haley Dunphy. Hyland brought a great deal of charm to the role, and like the other children appearing in the series, viewers got to watch her grow up into adulthood. That's not hyperbole, either; Hyland joined the cast when she was 19 and finished the series at 30.

Through it all, Hyland convincingly played a much younger character, which is a testament to her skills as an actor. Given how well she was liked while on "Modern Family," many fans wonder what she's been up to since the show went off the air in 2020. Hyland has been living her best life, and this is what happened to her after the show ended.

Throughout the filming of "Modern Family," Sarah Hyland appeared to her fans as if nothing was wrong. While that's how things looked from the outside, behind the scenes, Hyland was dealing with a serious health issue that made working on the show incredibly difficult. Hyland was born with kidney dysplasia, which led to her having 16 surgeries throughout her life. These surgeries included not one but two kidney transplants.

While working on the series, she received her first kidney transplant from her father at the age of 21. Unfortunately, the first one failed, so five years after it was placed, she received a second kidney from her brother. Fortunately, the second kidney is working well, but through it all, Hyland underwent a great deal of pain. During an appearance on the "Quitters" podcast, Hyland revealed what she went through:

"There are some episodes of 'Modern Family' where I do not remember filming because I was asleep. Dead-ass asleep ... I'd be on the set, we'd be filming, I'd be dead asleep, my head on the table, I would hear, 'and ...' and my head would go up." On Jesse Tyler Ferguson's "Dinner's on Me" podcast, Hyland expanded on this, saying, "I don't remember a lot of filming because I was always focused on essentially just surviving and knowing my lines and being there 100% when they yelled action — and then immediately collapsing when they yelled cut."

At the beginning of her work on "Modern Family," Sarah Hyland was dating Matt Prokop, a fellow actor who shared the screen with her on "Geek Charming." The two began seeing one another in 2011, and they remained together for several years. That relationship ended in 2014 over Hyland's allegations of physical and verbal abuse. She did this with the help of fellow "Modern Family" star Julie Bowen, who sees Hyland (and the other kids on the series) as surrogate children of her own.

Hyland was able to obtain a temporary restraining order that was followed by a permanent one over her claim that he choked her, and she feared for her life. There were other horrific accusations as well levied against Prokop, including a threat he made to her dog. Needless to say, it's a good thing she got away from Prokop because his actions and attitude were dangerous to Hyland's physical and mental health.

If there was any doubt of Prokop's guilt regarding Hyland's accusations, they were dispelled in 2024 when he was arrested for assaulting another girlfriend. Prokop's career effectively ended following the news of his abusive behavior to Hyland, and it seems he never truly changed. For Hyland, she fared far better after splitting from Prokop and discussed overcoming adversity during an appearance on "The Meredith Vieira Show," where she said, "People have to go through things in order to become the person they are today. And that's that."

If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.

In terms of acting, Hyland continues to work in Hollywood, but her time in front of the camera has somewhat diminished since "Modern Family" went off the air. Like many popular celebrities with impressive resumes, Hyland began acting in advertisements for different companies early in her career. She landed several gigs, launching all kinds of products while working on "Modern Family" and has continued to appear in commercials since then, keeping herself relatively busy.

Hyland's commercial acting has run the gamut of companies, including Taco Bell, Domino's Pizza, Nintendo, Jeep, and several others. In addition to putting her name behind a variety of products, Hyland has also appeared in TV spots promoting various programs, including "The Real Housewives of New York City," "Love Island USA," "Vampire Academy," and others. She's also appeared in a YSA TV sport for the 2017 Summer of Service Grant Applications and Code Red: Youth of the Nation under the banner "Our Generation's Greatest Fear."

While she's appeared in a variety of commercials over the years, her Taco Bell spots are particularly funny and creative. In a 2021 spot for the restaurant, she plays a character in a horror spoof called "The Craving," which is all about selling Taco Bell's then-newly added menu item, Nacho Fries. More recently, she's mentioned by her "Modern Family" castmates but doesn't appear in a WhatsApp spot where everyone reprises their roles in the ad that was released in 2024.

Fans are often interested in how celebrities find their matches and get married, and Sarah Hyland's story is truly tantalizing. Unlike almost everyone else in the world, Hyland found her future husband on a little program called "The Bachelorette." Granted, that series is all about finding love through competition and other means, but Hyland was never a contestant, though Wells Adams was. Adams appeared on the show in 2016, during JoJo Fletcher's season, and he immediately caught Hyland's eye.

Hyland was immediately interested in Adams, so they shared some flirtatious tweets on X, formerly known as Twitter. They didn't begin dating immediately, and Adams went on to appear in "Bachelor in Paradise" before things between them elevated. Eventually, Adams did what many on the platform had likely attempted to do to Hyland: he slid into her DMs. Hyland explained on Jimmy Kimmel Live! that Adams reached out to her and said, "Next time I'm in L.A., I'm taking you out for drinks and tacos." That line worked because Hyland loves tacos, and the two began dating soon after.

Things progressed, and Adams proposed in July 2019. Hyland and Adam's wedding was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but as soon as it was safe, they moved forward. Hyland's friend and former co-star, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, officiated the proceedings, which were attended by many of Hyland's "Modern Family" co-stars. The wedding took place on August 20, 2022, and the pair have since celebrated a couple of anniversaries together.

One of the reasons you may not have seen much of Sarah Hyland in recent years is that she's been the victim of a great deal of online bullying. Celebrities endure harassment and bullying all the time, and while many shake this off or ignore it, not everyone can. When a celebrity is bullied in the manner Hyland was, it's not uncommon for them to leave social media for a while, which is what Hyland did.

Hyland's 14-year-old cousin was killed by a drunk driver in December 2018, which hit the actor incredibly hard. She lashed out on X at the driver, Jeffrey Eggerling, calling him a murderer. Hyland established a GoFundMe campaign to raise funds for funeral and medical expenses, and it succeeded. The fund raised over $45,000 while targeting $40,000. Because of her celebrity status, a lot of people posted that she should pay for everything without taking into consideration how she felt.

The harassment continued until Hyland was finally fed up with it all and left the platform on December 3, 2018, though she eventually returned. Hyland previously endured a lot of online bullying over her appearance on "Modern Family." Because of her medical condition, Hyland appeared to wear a wig, and people took notice, though she actually wore hair extensions. Some lashed out at her about her weight, not knowing it was due to a serious medical condition, and these attacks certainly took a toll on the actor.

Toward the end of 2021, Sarah Hyland began a partnership with Sourse, promoting and selling products she endorsed or created. Her initial product line was of vitamin-infused chocolates, which included several chocolates with vitamin B12, vitamin D, and biotin. Each product provides a different vitamin or nutritional supplement that doesn't come in the form of a mostly tasteless gummy or a pill — they're all made of delicious chocolate!

Hyland came up with the idea, which Sourse launched, and before the products hit store shelves, she said, "When I joined the Sourse team in March, I made it my mission to work to develop life-changing products that benefit everyone who tries them. I have poured my heart and soul into creating this sweet treat with wellness in mind and can't wait for my friends and family (and the rest of the world!) to upgrade their health and beauty routines with these tasty vitamins!"

Hyland, who is one of three co-founders of the company, worked for eight months to develop her product line, which includes Beauty Bites, Mood Bites, Hype Bites, and Glow Bites. Part of the reason Hyland got involved in making vitamin-infused chocolates was her own health issues. She's been outspoken about her condition for years, and transitioning into the vitamin marketplace made sense to her. A few years after launch, Sourse products, including Hyland's bites, were made available at Sephora, which can be found in many Kohl's locations nationwide.

If there's one thing that's become almost a standard for celebrities, it's podcasting. Many got into the trend during the COVID-19 pandemic due to a lack of other options, and they've become incredibly popular. Jesse Tyler Ferguson has featured Sarah Hyland on his podcast, and he's hosted many "Modern Family" alums. While Hyland has her own podcast, she also starred in one: "Bone, Marry, Bury."

In "Bone, Marry, Bury," Hyland plays Allie, a 26-year-old woman who's having a rough go of it. She's been dumped, fired from her job, and booted from her place. It's a tough time for Allie, so she decides to attend a New Year's Eve party, where she plans to do little more than drink her worries away and start the year anew. The party proves to be more than she expected because, after a month, Allie will have boned, married, and buried three people who were at the party.

It's an unusual take on the classic "F***, Marry, Kill" game people often play with celebrities — there's even a website where you can play the game using celebrity pictures. "Bone, Marry, Bury" is a far more creative take on the premise, and Hyland's exceptional performance as the series' star takes the listener through a reverse mystery, where you already know the outcome and need to figure out how it comes to fruition. The podcast was well-received, and it was even nominated for an Ambie Award for best fiction podcast.

While most people likely know Sarah Hyland for her work on "Modern Family," she's never limited herself to the small screen. She may have gotten her start working in television, appearing in "Another World" but she also found work in movies. She played Howard Stern's daughter in 1997's "Private Parts" and has continued working in the medium ever since. Throughout her time on "Modern Family," Hyland worked in a variety of films, including "Spanglish," "Scary Movie 5," and others.

Hyland's career on the silver screen didn't come to an end just because she finished her work on "Modern Family." She landed a leading role in 2022's "My Fake Boyfriend," playing Kelly in the rom-com. While the film did well with critics, earning a 73% on Rotten Tomatoes, audiences weren't as impressed. The film's audience score sits at 56%, and while it's common for movies to differ between the two scores on the site, it usually goes the other way.

"My Fake Boyfriend" was the first movie Hyland made after "Modern Family" ended, but it wasn't her last. She will appear in "The Token Groomsman," which entered into pre-production in 2024. That film is another rom-com set in Italy, where Scott (Taylor Lautner) is invited to participate as a groomsman in an all-expenses-paid destination wedding, but the only problem is that he has no idea who the groom is. Hyland plays Mia, though it's unclear what part she'll play in the film's narrative.

Since "Modern Family" came to an end, Sarah Hyland's television workload has decreased, but it hasn't disappeared altogether. While she doesn't work as often since the show wrapped, Hyland hasn't turned her back on television. After all, it's where she not only got her start, but it's also where she became a famous celebrity. In 2022, Hyland appeared opposite her former "Modern Family" romantic interest, Andy Bailey, played by Adam Devine, in "Pitch Perfect: Bumper in Berlin."

The series revolves around Devine's Bumper, who appeared in the "Pitch Perfect" film franchise. In the TV series that continues his story, Hyland plays Heidi, an Army brat who works as an assistant to Pieter Krämer (Flula Borg), a former member of Das Sound Machine, which appeared in "Pitch Perfect 2." Secretly, Heidi is a songwriter, and after Bumper's latest track becomes a hit in Berlin, the two begin working together, and it all seems perfectly natural given Devine and Hyland's on-screen chemistry.

The series, which streams on Peacock, was a hit with audiences, holding a 72% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, while the critics were less favorable, giving it a rotten rating of 46%. Hyland's work on the show ended, but she's still working on TV. Hyland began work with Emily V. Gordon on an as-yet-unnamed television series for ABC that entered development in 2019, though it's unclear when it will hit the airwaves.

Almost all of Sarah Hyland's work has involved scripted television or movies, but in 2022, she landed a job that was entirely different from the work she'd done before. Fresh off the set of "Modern Family," Hyland became the host of "Love Island USA" during the series' fourth season. Hyland joined the show when it was picked up for streaming on Peacock and remained with "Love Island USA" for two seasons.

During her time as host, Hyland focused on the interactions between the women competing on the show. She explained this to The Wrap, saying to the female contestants, "Don't put blame on other women." She went on to detail how she thinks it's important for the women on the show to form a foundation and working relationship, which she acknowledged isn't what you'd expect from a show like "Love Island USA." She also explained what she loved about the fourth season, noting that "The girls — they're still friends."

While she finished filming the fifth season of "Love Island USA," it would be Hyland's last. As Entertainment Weekly so succinctly put it, "Sarah Hyland has voted herself off the island." She was replaced by Ariana Madix. Hyland shared on X that her reason for leaving the show was due to a scheduling conflict. She'd previously committed to another project that demanded her time, explaining, "While I'm sad I can't return, I hope to see lots of love this summer on Peacock this upcoming season!"

Early in her career, Sarah Hyland worked in the theater, performing in "Grey Gardens" on and off-Broadway. While she cut her teeth in the theater, she was simultaneously working in television and feature films. Her final performance in "Grey Gardens" came in 2007, and it would be nearly two decades before her return. In 2024, Hyland landed the role of Audrey in an off-Broadway production of "Little Shop of Horrors" at the Westside Theater.

Hyland explained that "Audrey has been a dream role of mine since I was a little girl. I'm just having the time of my life" during an appearance on "Today with Hoda & Jenna." During her appearance, she described how when she was a child, she ran into problems performing because she couldn't perform a cartwheel, which cost her several roles. While it's unclear if she can pull off a cartwheel these days, it must not have been a problem for her in landing her latest gig as Audrey.

Given how enthusiastically she spoke about her time working with a giant plant puppet and other aspects of the production, it's likely she won't be satisfied with the one play. Ultimately, whatever Hyland chooses to do next will be up to her, and given her talent and ability to overcome a great deal of adversity in her personal life, there's a good chance that whatever Hyland does will be excellent.