The Real-Life Partners Of Modern Family's Leading Ladies

Few sitcoms in history have left an emotional mark quite as strong as "Modern Family" did. After watching their beloved second family on-screen for 11 years, fans finally bid an emotional goodbye to the beloved sitcom in 2020. However, devoted viewers still found themselves coming back to the show years later because it was just so comforting. With every re-watch, fans couldn't help but wonder if the cast had managed to remain a second family after their work together concluded.

Although the cast understandably doesn't get together all the time due to their busy schedules, they still show up for each other when it matters. For instance, almost every member of the "Modern Family" main cast was present to watch Sarah Hyland get married in 2022. In fact, in a 2020 ABC clip, Hyland revealed that her beau had reached out to both her real-life parents and Ty Burrell and Julie Bowen to ask for their green light to propose to her. 

During an August 2022 Entertainment Tonight interview, Jesse Tyler Ferguson revealed that the happy couple had initially tapped Burrell to officiate their wedding. However, a "family emergency" had prevented him from making it to the big day altogether. And so, Ferguson stepped into the important role in the eleventh hour. Hyland later shared a video of her on-screen uncle officiating the wedding, with the perfect mix of humor and emotional depth. Although Ferguson's beautiful speech about the hard work that goes into healthy relationships was tailored to Hyland and her husband, it could easily be applicable to all the other "Modern Family" women who have found love or redefined it altogether.

Sarah Hyland basically tweeted her dream love story into existence. At several points in 2016, the "Geek Charming" star shared X posts gushing about the bartender from "Bachelor in Paradise," Wells Adams. Naturally, the reality TV personality couldn't help but flirt back with Hyland on X (via People). While that undoubtedly sounds like a meet-cute worthy of a romance novel, their real-life story was far more challenging. 

In a December 2018 interview with Self, Hyland shared that she had her first date with Adams a mere three days before undergoing a kidney transplant. Although their relationship hadn't even materialized yet, Adams was still right by her side through the grueling recovery process. "He's seen me at my worst," the former child actor said of her partner. "I think that's why I feel the most beautiful in his eyes, because he still finds me beautiful after seeing all that." Ultimately, she believed that their relationship's challenging beginning only deepened their bond early on. 

In July 2019, Hyland shared an Instagram post revealing that Adams had popped the question during a romantic stroll at the beach. After postponing their wedding a few times due to COVID-19 restrictions, they finally tied the knot in August 2022. Many of her "Modern Family" co-stars got to watch Hyland's complete transformation into a bride. And she was, of course, one of the many celebrities who stunned in Vera Wang wedding dresses. Their marital bliss remained at peak years later, as Hyland told E! News in September 2025 that "Every day [was] a highlight" because of her husband's constant support.

Speaking to Entertainment Tonight in July 2021, Ariel Winter shared that she had her real-life romcom moment in 2019 when her long-standing friendship with Luke Benward turned romantic. The former child actor acknowledged that although the start of their relationship felt quite weird due to their platonic roots, they ultimately had no regrets about it because of how wonderful things turned out. 

After labeling her beau her "safe space" and "best friend," she gushed, "He's my boyfriend, so it's really beautiful to be able to get to that place with somebody and to have the friendship foundation first and then to be able to grow into everything, is really, really beautiful." Meanwhile, in Benward's July 2025 Us Weekly interview, he recalled how his parents couldn't keep their cool when they learned that he knew Winter since they had watched her work in the popular sitcom.

Benward and Winter eventually added another layer to their relationship by becoming professional collaborators on "Don't Log Off," a thriller they produced and starred in. In a July 2025 People interview, the "Modern Family" star, who looks gorgeous with her natural hair color, shared that their professional collaboration didn't affect their romance in the slightest because they balanced each other perfectly. While Winter brought her intellect to the logistical aspect of their work, her beau fueled the project itself with his creativity. Although Winter always knew that her partner was brimming with talent, she still hadn't expected him to be as good at producing as he actually was.

During an October 2024 Us Weekly interview, Julie Bowen shared that she was unsure if there was any man in the world who was "strong enough" to date someone as amazing as Sofía Vergara following the end of her 7-year-long marriage to Joe Manganiello in 2023. As it turns out, Douglas Chabbott was just the right man for the role of Vergara's boyfriend. 

In December 2024, the "Griselda" star sent the romance rumors into overdrive by sharing a photo of herself hanging out with the entrepreneur and coyly captioning it with three red hearts. Days later, she posted an Instagram photo of them hanging out with their pals. By April 2025, she apparently grew even more comfortable with sharing their love with the world, as she shared a Facebook photo of herself and Chabbott and captioned it, "Luv u." Vergara appeared to be glowing as she enjoyed a vacation in France with Chabbott, who is 14 years her junior, in the following month. And they apparently continued to frolic around Europe in the following months because they were spotted packing on the PDA in Rome in July. 

Then, in December 2025, Vergara underlined her feelings for Chabbott with an Instagram photo captioned "Te am" with three hearts. Although neither of them has publicly commented on their relationship, the fact that Vergara is smiling ear-to-ear in most photos with Chabbott is a testament to their happiness. Although it can be difficult to know if you are ready to start dating after a divorce, Vergara seems to have nailed the timing just fine.

The complete transformation of Aubrey Anderson-Emmons happened right before our eyes. Since we're so used to seeing her as the sassy child from "Modern Family," it can be slightly difficult to imagine that she is an adult exploring dating. However, she once appeared to be in a relationship with musician Phoenix Reed. According to The Things, in January 2022, Anderson-Emmons shared a snap of Reed and captioned it "Favorite boy." Their relationship appeared to be going strong in the following months, as Reed shared a photo of them enjoying a trip to Disneyland in September. 

On Valentine's Day 2023, the musician professed his love for his then-girlfriend with a photo of them captioned, "Happy Valentine's Day to my soulmate," per The Things. Reed was also Anderson-Emmons' date to prom in June 2024, and the couple appeared together in a super cute Instagram reel before the event. However, in an August 2025 interview with Them, the singer-songwriter confirmed that she had parted ways with her boyfriend.

"I dated this boy for about three years, and we had some breaks in between, but it was such a beautiful relationship and I learned so much from it," she explained, without mentioning Reed by name. "He's also a fantastic musician." Anderson-Emmons made it clear that they had ended their relationship on a positive note by revealing that he had lent his vocal and musical talents to her music. And he had even served as the muse for "Turn The Light On," her 2025 track about first love. Their breakup hadn't severed their friendly bond either, as Anderson-Emmons revealed that her ex would be joining her on stage for a musical performance shortly after the interview.

In February 2018, Julie Bowen filed for divorce from Scott Phillips after 13 years of matrimony and welcoming three children together. In a November 2017 Us Weekly interview, she hinted that they had been having marital problems for quite some time, since they had been in and out of therapy. During an April 2022 episode of the "Quitters" podcast, the "Happy Gilmore" star shared that although the end of her marriage was "really painful," she still didn't speak about it too much because her ex-husband didn't have a similar platform to talk about his perspective. 

Then, when she appeared on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" in January 2022, she shared that she had given up on dating altogether. "I did go on some dates and this guy was like 'You have to come to my house because I have a dog.' And I was like, 'I'm getting a dog, that's the trick' ... Now it's on my terms." And so, she had adopted a pug adorably named Gertrude Stein to officially mark the end of her dating era. However, she made it clear that she would happily put dating back on the table if Harry Styles were a viable suitor for her. 

During a January 2023 appearance on "The Drew Barrymore Show," Bowen confirmed that she was more than happy to be single and focus on her work. When she spoke to Us Weekly in October 2024, she confirmed Sofía Vergara hadn't set her up with anyone either because they had vastly different types, with hers being introverted men who didn't want all eyes on them.