Sarah Hyland still ‘triggered’ by past abusive relationship after ex Matt Prokop’s arrest for assault

Sarah Hyland admits she still gets “triggered” by a past abusive relationship.

The “Modern Family” star spoke with Variety about being a survivor of domestic violence and the PTSD she often suffers from as a result. The interview comes a few months after her ex Matt Prokop — whom she previously was granted a restraining order against — was arrested for allegedly assaulting his girlfriend.

“[The PTSD stays] in that abused place of your soul, where you think it’s your fault the whole time and you could have done better, you could have gotten out sooner, you could have told people,” she told the outlet.

Hyland, 33, explained that she understands why so many survivors do “not wanna talk about it anymore” and want the whole experience to “be done.”

“I completely understand the dissociation pattern of it,” she continued. “I am very much guilty about it myself… until something happens where I’m triggered, and I didn’t realize that part of myself had been healed.”

Hyland admitted that she may never “be fully healed” from her abuse.

“It’s something that kind of scars her soul a little bit,” she shared. “It’s more so putting love towards that scar instead of hating it and ignoring it.”

The former “Love Island USA” host –– who has been married to “Bachelor” alum Wells Adams since 2022 –– has since spoken out about her abuse and encourages others to share their stories, as well.

“The community hasn’t shared enough, I believe. And I feel that if we talk about it more, more women — and men and just human beings in general in abusive relationships — will feel more comfortable to be able to talk about it with their loved ones,” she told Variety. “Instead of letting their abuser isolate them from everyone, which is the first thing that they do, so that you don’t have that community. So we have to keep talking about it.”

Hyland’s abusive relationship with Prokop was made public in September 2014 when she was granted a restraining order against him.

Hyland alleged that her “Geek Charming” co-star had verbally and physically abused her during their five-year relationship and accused him of choking her and threatening her and her dog’s life.

“His grip was so tight that I could not breathe or speak. I was scared and in fear for my life,” she recalled in the filing at the time.

Nearly 10 years after he was ordered to stay away from Hyland, Prokop was arrested for allegedly assaulting his girlfriend in May in Texas.

Prokop’s girlfriend allegedly called police and claimed that he allegedly pushed her and slammed her head into something.

If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or text START to 88788.