The Real-Life Partners Of The Cast Of Modern Family
Like the Tanners, the Addams family, or the Brady bunch, the Dunphy-Pritchett-Tucker-Delgado clan is a family that we, as viewers, have traversed a lot of life with. The characters burst onto screens in 2009, and the mockumentary-style sitcom was an immediate hit. "Modern Family"'s three central couples and their family units made for hilarious — and heartwarming — viewing. The show even made history with Mitchell's (Jesse Tyler Ferguson) and Cam's (Eric Stonestreet) storyline, serving as the first American series to depict both a proposal and a wedding between two gay main characters. And, over the course of 11 seasons, several more relationships unfolded, including Haley's (Sarah Highland) on-again-off-again romance with Dylan (Reid Ewing) that eventually ended in marriage.
But what about the cast's romantic lives off the screen? Well, Hyland certainly got her fairy tale ending like Hayley; and Ferguson and Stonestreet both have happy proposal stories, though not with each other. Younger cast members like Nolan Gould and Rico Rodriguez are single (as of July 2023), although Gould was romantically linked to Joey King and Australian model Hannah Glasby during his time on the show.
Other "Modern Family" stars like Ty Burrell and Benjamin Bratt have both been happily married since long before filming the series. However, there have also been a few bumps along the way for a couple of cast members who have boarded trains to splitsville. Keep reading for everything you need to know about the real-life partners of the cast of "Modern Family."
Sarah Hyland married Wells Adams in 2022
Sarah Hyland filmed "Modern Family" for the entirety of her 20s, and parts of her real life mirrored her on-screen character Haley Dunphy's life. Like Haley, she had a few significant relationships, dating her "Geek Charming" co-star Matt Prokop from 2009 to 2014, before moving on with "Shadowhunters" star Dominic Sherwood. The pair broke up in 2017, and later that year she began dating Nashville radio host Wells Adams. You might recognize Adams from Season 12 of "The Bachelorette" and as the bartender from the fifth season of "The Bachelor in Paradise," because Hyland certainly did.
The pair met on social media and exchanged some flirty tweets back and forth before Adams slid into Hyland's DMs. He asked her out for tacos the next time he was in Los Angeles and soon fulfilled his promise. While on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" Hyland admitted that she found Adams' directiveness very appealing. "[He] was very, like, confident and sexy and I liked that." They bonded over tacos and tequila on their first date and have even watched new seasons of "The Bachelor" together.
Adams and Hyland dated for two years before getting engaged in 2019. After asking her parents for their blessing, Wells sought the approval of Hyland's TV family before popping the question. "He also hunted down Julie Bowen and Ty Burrell for their blessing. They really, really are like my second set of parents," Hyland revealed on "A Modern Farewell," as reported by Seventeen. The couple had their dream wedding held on a vineyard in California in 2022, which Jesse Tyler Ferguson officiated.
Ariel Winter is building a life with Luke Benward
Ariel Winter ended her long-term relationship with her live-in partner Levi Meaden in 2019. Later that year, the "Modern Family" star, who played the middle Dunphy sibling, Alex, moved on with "Dear John" actor Luke Benward. The pair were friends for years before their relationship turned romantic. Although it's not clear how they met, it could have been their Disney connection, since Winter worked on the ABC show, while Benward starred in Disney Channel films like "Girl vs. Monster" and "Cloud9," and appeared on shows like "Good Luck Charlie" and "Girl Meets World."
After graduating from Disney Channel, Benward went on to nab a role in the "Pretty Little Liars" spinoff "Ravenswood," and starred in the 2018 Netflix film "Dumplin'" alongside Jennifer Aniston, Danielle Macdonald, and former Disney Channel co-star Dove Cameron. He's also collaborated on projects with Winter, including the feature "Don't Log Off" and the short film "Boys," which marked Benward's directorial debut.
Off-screen, the pair are building a solid life together. They happily gush about each other on social media, too. While celebrating Benward's birthday, Winter wrote on Instagram, "There's nothing better than being in love, especially when it's with your best friend." The couple have also adopted dogs together and spent a lot of time traveling around Europe, which they've documented in a series of travel videos on TikTok.
Ty Burrell and Holly Burrell have been happily married for decades
Ty Burrell played Haley, Alex, and Luke's happy-go-lucky dad Phil Dunphy on "Modern Family." For all 11 seasons of the show, Phil was (mostly) happily married to Claire (Julie Bowen). And his off-screen life mirrored the show. Burrell enjoys romantic bliss with his wife Holly Burrell, with whom he has two daughters.
Fans might not know much about Mrs. Burrell, but she does have an acting background. In fact, she and the "Modern Family" star met at Shakespeare Theater in D.C. and fell in love before relocating to New York to pursue screen careers. The couple got married in 2000 and, prior to adopting their eldest daughter Frances in 2010, Holly switched career lanes and became a professional chef. "After a couple years, I decided I probably was not cut out for the business. You have to really want to do it and I just didn't have the thing you need. I was interested in other things," she told The Salt Lake Tribune in 2015 according to Bustle.
The couple adopted their second daughter Greta in 2012 and said that having kids made their relationship even stronger. "There's lots of problem solving in any marriage, but when you have this collective goal that is a human being, it's an inspiring rally point," the "Modern Family" star explained to People. Though they were based in L.A. while Burrell was filming the sitcom, the couple actually live closer to Holly's family in Salt Lake City now so that they can raise their kids away from Hollywood.
Julie Bowen 'retired' from dating after her split with husband Scott Phillips
As a businesswoman, wife, and mom of three, Julie Bowen's character Claire Dunphy had a lot to juggle in "Modern Family." And her life at home wasn't any quieter. Alongside filming the sitcom, Bowen was busy raising three kids of her own with then-husband Scott Phillips. The former couple married in 2004 and welcomed their eldest son, Oliver Phillips, in 2007. After starting work on "Modern Family" in 2009, Bowen gave birth to her twin sons, John and Gustav.
While together, Bowen gushed about how her husband, a real estate investor, was incredibly supportive of her career. He attended tons of award shows with her, and while he happily celebrated her achievements, she acknowledged that it wasn't always easy for him. "It's tough to be a purse holder," she told People. Sadly, their marriage didn't last, and in 2018, the couple announced that they had decided to separate, with Bowen quickly filing for divorce. Things remained amicable for the sake of their kids, and they split their $25.3 million assets in half, with Phillips retaining the family home.
Since her divorce, Julie Bowen has been vocal about embracing her single era. She told her "Modern Family" co-star Adam Devine, who was guest-hosting "The Ellen Show," that she's done with dating. "[My] dog, that was my retirement gift to me." Although she then revealed that she had been on a few dates and then joked that she would happily come out of her dating retirement if Harry Styles came knocking.
Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Justin Mikita are a happy family of four
Jesse Tyler Ferguson experienced two weddings while starring in "Modern Family". His character Mitchell Pritchett married his long-time partner Cam Tucker in the fifth season's two-part finale that aired in 2014. However, this wasn't his first time down the aisle, as Ferguson had married his longtime beau, entertainment lawyer Justin Mikita, in real-life the year before. Although Cam and Mitchell both proposed to each other on the sitcom, Ferguson took the lead off-screen, revealing he popped the question.
Ferguson and Mikita have been going strong since their wedding in July 2013. And, after their first anniversary together, Ferguson expressed their desire to start a family. "We don't have any sort of timeline right now. When you have to look for alternate means, there's a little more planning that has to go into that, so who knows. When we start the process it might still be a three-year ordeal. We'll see what happens!" he told People.
The couple ended up waiting six years to bring home their first child, son Beckett Mercer Ferguson-Mikita, who was born in July 2020, less than two months after the "Modern Family" series finale. They welcomed Beckett via surrogate and two years later, in November 2022, they announced that they'd expanded their family again, welcoming his little brother Sullivan Louis Ferguson-Mikita. They were thrilled that the same surrogate could carry both their boys. "We are so grateful for her and her family. We became friends with her and her husband," Ferguson told People.
Ed O'Neill and Catherine Rusoff's marriage hasn't always been smooth sailing
Ed O'Neill's character, Jay Pritchett, is the patriarch of the Dunphy-Pritchett-Tucker-Delgado family. Throughout the show's run, he's married to the much younger Gloria. Although "Modern Family" makes fun of their age gap, the couple enjoys a happy marriage and even welcomes their son Joe in Season 4. Off the screen, O'Neill is also a married man, although it appears his decades-long relationship with his wife Catherine Rusoff has had its fair share of ups and downs. The couple married in 1986. At that time, Rusoff was an actor herself. If you're a long-time comedy fan, you might know her as Mona Squab or Betsy from "Married With Children." She also had a couple of guest appearances in shows like "Ohara" and "Midnight Caller," but she finished acting in 1991.
The couple welcomed two daughters in 1999 and 2002, respectively. "It wasn't my idea to have children. It was my wife's. At the beginning, I sort of reluctantly went along with it. As a favor to her, I was thinking. Then when we had the first one, I was like 'Oh, my God, I'm in love.' They are the best thing that has ever happened to me," O'Neill admitted to the New York Post. Ironically, they are named Sophia (Sofia Vergara played his wife on the show) and Claire (the name of O'Neill's on-screen daughter played by Julie Bowen).
However, by the time O'Neill landed the role of Jay, he and Rusoff were living apart and co-parenting their girls. He revealed to the New York Post that his family situation wasn't too dissimilar to Jay's. However, O'Neill has since reconciled with Rusoff.
Sofia Vergara and Joe Manganiello are divorcing
In "Modern Family," Sofia Vergara played Gloria Delgado-Pritchett, the glamorous wife of Jay. Equally glamorous off-screen, the actor showcases her private life on social media, often posting sweet couple pictures with her husband of seven years, Joe Manganiello.
The Columbian-American star shared happy throwback pictures of herself and Manganiello in Italy on Instagram at the end of June 2023, but less than a month later, the couple announced that they were parting ways. "We have made the difficult decision to divorce. As two people that love and care for one another very much, we politely ask for respect of our privacy at this time as we navigate this new phase of our lives," Vergara and Manganiello said in a joint statement to Page Six. Although the reason for their split hasn't been announced, sources told Daily Mail Manganiello filed for the divorce to protect his sobriety.
Manganiello is an actor who you might recognize from the "Magic Mike" movies. He also recurred as Brad on "How I Met Your Mother," and played Davis in the star-studded ensemble film "What to Expect When You're Expecting." Prior to their split, he gushed about the "Modern Family" star, telling Entertainment Tonight that they complement each other in all the best ways, and really enjoy spending time together. "My favorite thing in the world is making my wife laugh so much she cries. It's the best," he said in the 2019 interview.
Benjamin Bratt will never stop praising his wife Talisa Soto
Benjamin Bratt recurred on "Modern Family" as Javier Delgado, Gloria's ex-husband and Manny's (Rico Rodriguez) biological father. Though divorced in the show, Bratt was married in real life. He met his wife Talisa Soto Bratt on the set of the 2001 movie "Piñero" and they were married shortly after. The Puerto Rican actor and Brooklyn native got her start modeling as a teenager. You might have seen her on the cover of mags like Vogue and Glamour. "I am forever proud to be the first Latina to grace the cover of American Vogue, 1989. An amazing team of artists and beautiful memories!" she said, recalling the momentous occasion on Instagram. She also appeared in the 1995 swimsuit issue of Sports Illustrated.
The "Mortal Kombat" star stopped acting in 2009 to focus on family life with Soto and their kids, daughter Sophia and son Mateo. Bratt will happily gush about his wife on any occasion, telling Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager on "Today With Hoda & Jenna" [4:50] that respect is paramount in their relationship. "The secret is, we just dig each other," he added. "She makes me laugh. She's funny, she's very caring. She reminds me every day how lucky I am," Bratt gushed.
Bratt has also opened up about the difficult times they've faced, too, revealing that Soto was diagnosed with breast cancer during the pandemic. Happily, he added that she is now cancer-free, and thanks to Soto's Instagram, fans can see the couple are enjoying plenty of family time with their kids.
Eric Stonestreet announced his engagement to Lindsay Schweitzer in the best way
If you only know Eric Stonestreet for his role as Cam Tucker in "Modern Family," you might be surprised to learn that the actor is not gay in real life. But, he is just as loved up as his on-screen character. Stonestreet has been dating nurse Lindsay Schweitzer since 2016 after the pair met in his hometown, Kansas City, at the Big Slick charity weekend. "She is an amazing person, and I am so thankful that we met," he said later on "The Ellen Show," as shared by People.
In 2021, after five years of dating, the couple announced they were taking their relationship to the next level. Stonestreet posted a series of pictures of Schweitzer wearing a large diamond ring on Instagram. He captioned the post: "She said, 'She'd have her people call my people.'" While the actor was flooded with support from fans and friends, including the "Modern Family" cast, some social media users criticized the couple's eight-year age gap. However, they responded in the best way, by laughing about it and sharing new photos that were edited to dramatically age Schweitzer.
Schweitzer is a mom of twin boys, making Stonestreet a stepdad. The actor said the twins were instrumental in helping to plan the proposal and recorded the special moment for them.
2023 marked 20 years of marriage for Elizabeth Banks and Max Handelman
Elizabeth Banks' name is synonymous with big-screen blockbusters like "The Hunger Games," "Pitch Perfect," and "Cocaine Bear." Most of her acting roles have been in movies, and she also spends a lot of time working as a producer and director. However, you can't forget her notable role in "Modern Family" as Mitchell and Cam's best friend Sal. The unlucky-in-love party girl is a far cry from Banks' real-life persona, though. The "Charlie's Angels" star has been happily married for decades.
Banks got together with former Wall Street financier Max Handelman in 1993. The pair met on their first day of college and 10 years later, they tied the knot. The couple celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary in July 2023. "Time flies when you're making an amazing life together," Banks wrote on Instagram alongside a throwback wedding snap. As for the secret to a happy marriage, it's communication and collaboration, according to Banks. "I do think people grow together or they grow apart. We definitely grew together. We were constantly making decisions that kept us close," she told Net-A-Porter.
During those years of growing together, their family has also grown as they welcomed two sons, Felix and Magnus. They also launched their own film and production company, Brownstone Productions, in 2002. "Forming the company really was about trying to combine our professional and personal goals," Banks explained.
Nathan Lane and Devlin Elliott collaborated on a project based on their dog
"Only Murders in the Building" star Nathan Lane recurred on "Modern Family" as Cam and Mitchell's somewhat judgy friend Pepper Saltzman, appearing in seven out of the show's 11 seasons. On the show, he fell in love with and married his assistant Ronaldo (Christian Barillas), with the pair later adopting two children together.
Pepper was known for planning gay weddings, but Lane finally got to plan his own when he married his longtime partner, fellow actor Devlin Lane. Gushing about his husband, Lane said to People, "We've been together 25 years and he's the greatest person in the world and I couldn't get through my life without him." You might recognize Elliott from some of his previous acting roles, which include "The X-Files" and "Sabrina the Teenage Witch." However, he prefers to work behind the scenes as a theater producer and writer these days.
The couple are loving parents to their fur baby Mabel, who is a French bulldog. "She's become our version of a child," Elliott told USA Today. "Really all she wants is for you to pick her up and hold her like a baby," he added. Lane and Elliott collaborated on a children's book which they based on her called "Naughty Mabel" and are working on the sequel.
Adam Devine wants everyone to know he and Chloe Bridges are happily married
Adam Devine's Andy Bailey might not have gotten his happily ever after with Haley on "Modern Family," but he did strike gold in real life. He married his long-term partner and fellow actor Chloe Bridges in 2019. You might recognize her as Sydney Driscoll, the girl Lucy Hale's character Aria killed in "Pretty Little Liars," or as Roxie in "Insatiable."
Devine and Bridges first met on a flight on the way to the set of their 2014 movie "The Final Girls." Knowing that they were working together, Bridges tried to strike up a conversation with the "Pitch Perfect" alum. However, Devine admitted on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" that he mistook this as her hitting on him, and was taken aback since he had a girlfriend. Of course, that relationship didn't last long, and in 2015, he and Bridges got together and never looked back. They then briefly worked together again on "Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates."
The couple often share cute Instagram posts to celebrate each others' birthdays or career achievements, but in 2022, Devine took to social media to share an important update about their relationship. After the Adam Levine cheating scandal, he posted a cute selfie of himself and Bridges on Instagram and wrote alongside: "My wife @chloebridges and I are doing great and going strong. I am not Adam Levine. He's a different guy and a worse singer."
Reid Ewing lives a quiet life with long-term partner Sean Oh
On-screen, Disney Channel alum Reid Ewing played Haley's on-off beau and eventual husband Dylan Marshall. Off-screen, the actor casually confirmed that he's gay on Twitter in 2015 (by saying he found Eugene Bata hot), before going public with his relationship before the end of the show's run.
Ewing casually went Instagram-official with Korean freelance illustrator Sean Oh in 2019, though it's likely the couple has been together longer than that. The pair prefer to keep their relationship private, but they do also share super low-key posts about their relationship. In July 2021, Oh posted a series of pictures on Instagram that included Ewing in nature surrounded by animals with the caption "Things I appreciate."
The "Modern Family" star also hinted that he and Oh had bought a condo together in another Instagram post in 2019. Still going strong after several years together, the couple now have two young Dachshund dogs which they adopted together.