“Modern Family’s” Ariel Winter Returns to Set Amid Family Drama
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ABC/BOB D’AMICO(LOS ANGELES) — Modern Family star Ariel Winter returned to work Thursday to the Los Angeles studio where the popular ABC comedy is produced, reports eonline.com.
A female friend picked up the 14-year-old actress at her older sister’s house and drove her to the set.
TMZ.com reported this week that the Winter’s 34-year-old sister, Shanelle Workman, gained temporary guardianship of Winter on Oct. 3 in the wake of allegations she was physically and emotionally abused by her mother, Crystal Workman.
Crystal Workman has been ordered to stay at least 100 yards away from the actress, who plays Alex Dunphy on Modern Family. A hearing in the case is scheduled for Nov. 20.
TMZ says Crystal Workman released a statement Thursday saying, “I love my daughter very much. I would never abuse her in anyway and I have always tried my best to always protect her and do what is right for her.”
Her statement continued, “My fourteeen-year-old daughter has been dating an eighteen-and-a-half-year-old man, and when I caught them engaging in behavior that I feel my daughter is too young mentally and physically to understand and fully grasp I put a stop to it immediately.”
Crystal Workman says she filed a police report. TMZ cites an incident report filed with the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department that states Crystal Workman walked in on Winter and the boyfriend in bed in a guest bedroom of her home on the night of Sept. 24.
TMZ also reports that Crystal Workman’s police report wasn’t filed until two weeks after the alleged bedroom incident, and five days after she lost custody of her daughter. Sources tell the gossip website the Sheriff’s Special Victims’ Bureau is investigating Crystal Workman’s claims.
Crystal Workman also denied the abuse allegations to People magazine, saying, “I have my doctor’s letter that my daughter’s never been abused….I have stylists’ letters that she’s never been abused.” People identifies her as Chris Workman.
TMZ also reported that Shanelle Workman was removed from Crystal Workman’s home nearly 20 years ago due to similar allegations. Shanelle Workman is also an actress whose credits include One Life to Live and Grey’s Anatomy.
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