A California judge has ordered teenage actress Ariel Winter, who plays Alex Dunphy on ABC’s hit comedy “Modern Family,” to leave the home where she lives with her mother, Crystal Workman.
TMZ reports that following an Oct. 3 guardianship hearing, the judge determined that Winter, 14, was being physically and emotionally abused by her mother.
Winter was placed in temporary guardianship with her older sister Shanelle Workman. Sources say that Winter’s mother was ordered to stay 100 yards away from Ariel.
There is a history of child abuse in the Workman household. The LA Department of Children and Family Services removed Shanelle from her mother’s care nearly two decades ago when similar allegations surfaced. Shanelle was placed in foster care for more than 2 years.
Winter plays the middle child of Ty Burrell and Julie Bowen on the Emmy-winning series, now in its fourth season. She has been acting since she was 4 years old and has appeared in the film “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang” with Robert Downey Jr. and done guest spots on “Criminal Minds” and “Bones.”
ABC had no comment.