People News

Young 'Modern Family' star removed from mother's care

Nov 7, 2012, 23:14 GMT

Ariel Winter with co-stars Julie Bowen, Sarah Hyland, Sophia Vergara and Aubrey Anderson-Emmons

Teen actress Ariel Winter has been removed from mother's care by child protective services for the second time.

The 'Modern Family' star - who plays Alex Dunphy in the hit comedy series - is no longer living with her mother Crystal Workman amid accusations of serious physical and emotional abuse and has been placed in her older sister's care.

A source told gossip website TMZ.com today (07.11.12) that the 14-year-old's older sister Shanelle Gray - who filed documents petitioning for guardianship in October after the first shocking allegations against Crystal came to light - has been awarded temporary legal custody.

The insider revealed that the girls have also secured a restraining order against their mother, forcing her to stay 100 yards away from the young actress at all times.

Ariel - who was honoured with her second consecutive Screen Actors Guild Award along with her fellow cast-mates for Best Ensemble in a Comedy Series earlier this year - is said to have been previously removed from her mother's care as a young child and placed in foster care by the Department of Children and Family Services.

Earlier this year San Diego, California, born Ariel banded together with her other young co-stars Rico Rodriguez, 14, Nolan Gould, 14, and Sarah Hyland, 21, to renegotiate their 'Modern Family' contracts together in a bid to secure uniform salaries and are now paid a reported $70,000 per episode each.