Survivor Stories: Sarah Hyland

Photo credits: Global News

As a star actress on famous shows such as Modern Family, Vampire Academy, and Geek Charming, Sarah Hyland was often the subject of awe and envy for many of her adoring fans, as many famous public figures are. What many did not know was that from 2010 to 2014, during the time when Sarah was dating actor Matt Prokop, she was undergoing mental and physical domestic abuse at his hands.

Sarah stated that these years were “the worst years of my life” and that “It is all too easy to feel isolated and misunderstood, no matter how strong you are. It takes courage to wake up every morning and face the world knowing that people may have no idea what you are going through.”

Their abusive relationship was only made public when Sarah was granted a restraining order against Prokop in September 2014. She explained that Prokop often choked her and threatened both her and her dog’s lives. Nearly ten years later, Prokop was arrested for allegedly assaulting his girlfriend, who stated that he pushed her and slammed her head into something.

Now married, Sarah stated that she still finds herself “triggered” since the abuse, which serves as a reminder that she has not fully recovered from the trauma she endured. She emphasized that this likely rings true for many women who have been in abusive relationships.

"I don't know if that part [of] any woman will ever be fully healed from that," Sarah stated. "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 such times, having support around can make a great difference. In addition to her family and friends, such as her “Modern Family” co-star Julie Bowen, Sarah found support in her dog, Barkley, who she said was “the only being that I could trust with my true feelings and felt the safest with. He got me through the worst years of my life, and I know I wouldn't have been able to make it out without him.”

Sarah has since helped build a community and offer resources to survivors of abusive relationships. She even contributed to the Purple Leash Program, which is an organization that works to make domestic shelters more pet-friendly so survivors can remain with their pets. Ultimately, Sarah’s story shows that behind the glamorous facade of stardom, violence can sometimes exist, and that support from family, friends, and pets is vital to overcoming such difficulties.

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Jurisview Journal is a student-led blog that publishes biweekly articles about interesting criminal cases. Our aim is to shed light on cases that require justice or further exploration and provide input on controversial legal events. We also publish infographics to help victims or those who wish to educate themselves on legal issues. 

In this series, Survivor Stories, we explore and share the stories of survivors of violence and crime. Through this, we advocate for justice and more attention to victims such as the survivors we feature.