Modern Family star Sarah Hyland just got a restraining order against her ex-boyfriend Matthew Prokop, and the reasons why are pretty shocking.
According to Hyland, who plays Haley Dunphy on the hit show, Prokop choked her, pushed her, abused her verbally and even threatened her life.
Hyland and Prokop broke up this summer, and the actor, who once appeared on Modern Family himself, has exhibited this behavior for years, she claims.
Prokop is accused of pinning Hyland up against a car during an argument about her outfit in May, calling Sarah “c–t, c–t, c–t, c–t” and choking her.
“His grip was so tight that I could not breathe or speak. I was scared and in fear for my life,” Hyland, 23, frighteningly recalls in court documents.
She adds that she had “a very sore throat following this event.”
Hyland says she knew she was in an abusive relationship and even asked Julie Bowen, who plays her mom on Modern Family, to come to her house to help.
Bowen and Hyland’s plan to “peacefully end the relationship” was to buy a plane ticket to send Matthew Prokop on his way, back to his home in Texas.
It didn’t get to that point, though, because when he arrived to see Bowen, among others, flanking Hyland, he ran outside and completely freaked out.
Hyland says Prokop threw a lighter at her, at which point Julie stepped in and told Sarah to leave the house because she wasn’t safe around Matt.
It gets crazier still, as Hyland claims Prokop also threatened to set one of her houses on fire … and threatened that she would never see her dog again.
After they broke up, he “relentlessly bombarded me with vile, threatening and emotionally disturbing texts and voice mails including his own suicide threats.”
Fortunately, Prokop entered a rehab facility in August, although he was released September 21 and Hyland was contacted by the facility’s director.
It would be in her best interest, the director said, to get a restraining order against Matthew Prokop, “due to his mental state and attitude toward her.”
Hyland took his advice and an L.A. judge granted the order, which requires Prokop to stay at least 100 yards away from Sarah, and her dog, at all times.
