Matt Prokop’s Career Ended After Dating Sarah Hyland, Here’s Why

Summary

• Sarah Hyland went from an abusive relationship with Matt Prokop to a healthy marriage with Wells Adams.
• Prokop's acting career disintegrated after his abusive relationship with Hyland ended.
• Hyland has reflected on the lasting emotional trauma of surviving a toxic relationship.

Sarah Hyland made a "Bachelor" her prince charming after saying goodbye to her "Geek Charming."

Hyland's Modern Family character, Haley Dunphy, had a way easier love life (sort of) compared to her off-screen counterpart. Hyland hasn't always had the best luck when it comes to guys. In fact, many people probably don't know that she experienced a horribly abusive relationship with her ex-boyfriend, Matt Prokop, for four years.

Thankfully, she got out of the relationship and was fortunate to enter into a healthy relationship with The Bachelorette's Wells Adams in 2018. The couple tied the knot in August 2022, and have a completely different relationship than Hyland had with Prokop. Before Adams popped the question in July 2019, he even asked Hyland's onscreen mom, Julie Bowen, for permission to marry her.

But what happened to Prokop after his relationship with Hyland and his career disintegrated?

Updated July 2024: Matt Prokop has not had any acting roles since 2013 and has managed to stay out of the spotlight until he was arrested in Texas in May 2024 for allegedly assaulting his girlfriend. When Prokop was being placed into custody, he reportedly attempted to get away from the police, and was subsequently charged with resisting arrest as well.

The Relationship Between Matt Prokop And Sarah Hyland Ended Badly

Sarah Hyland had to get a three-year restraining order against Matt Prokop

Hyland met Prokop on the Disney TV movie Geek Charming in 2011, just a year after she debuted as Hayley on Modern Family. While Hyland was making a name for herself in the sitcom world, Prokop was making a name for himself as a teen idol through Disney.

He went on to star as Troy McCann in one episode of Hannah Montana in 2006 and played Jimmie Zara in High School Musical 3: Senior Year in 2008.

Other projects that Prokop worked on over the years, according to IMDb include:

Eventually, Hyland and Prokop started living together and got a Maltipoo named Barkley Bixby. Things became even more serious when Propkop guest-starred on Modern Family in 2012 as Hayley's love interest, Ethan.

It might have seemed like they were the perfect couple, but it was the complete opposite behind the scenes. After four years of dating, the couple split in 2014.

In August of that year, it was discovered that this wasn't a normal breakup. Hyland got a three-year temporary restraining order against Prokop, claiming he'd been physically and verbally abusive towards her during their relationship.

The official legal documents outlined just what occurred in the relationship.

"Prokop terrorized [Sarah] both verbally and physically during the last four years of their relationship."

Hyland also claimed that Prokop had choked her so tightly that she "could not breathe or speak" during one particular fight and that he'd threatened to hurt her and their dog on more than one occasion.

The actual breakup was more intense than we thought, too. According to Life & Style, Hyland asked her onscreen mom, Julie Bowen, to be there with her when she told Prokop she was ending things. But when the actor figured out what was happening, he allegedly "threatened to set one of [Sarah’s] homes on fire and threatened that she would never see her dog (Barkley) again."

Thankfully, Hyland was able to secure a permanent restraining order against Prokop, so he's no longer able to have any contact with her at all.

Hyland reflected on her life after she broke things off with Prokop, while speaking to Meredith Viera.

"People have to go through things in order to become the person that they are today."

"My type is people who make me laugh," Hyland told Life & Style when asked about her perfect man. "I don’t think it’s so much about looks. It’s about personality, honestly — a sense of humor, sincerity, ambition, and drive."

Fortunately, Hyland moved on from Prokop pretty quickly. She dated her Vampire Academy and Shadowhunters co-star Dominic Sherwood for two years, but they amicably split in 2017. That same year, she started dating The Bachelorette contestant, Wells Adams, and the rest is history.

Matt Prokop's Career Essentially Ended After His Relationship With Sarah Hyland Ended

Matt Prokop could not shake the abuse allegations and he became virtually unhirable

As can be imagined, Hollywood, especially Disney, closed its doors to Prokop as soon as the abuse allegations were revealed. Since then, his career has gone down the proverbial toilet.

He hasn't appeared in any film or TV projects since 2013. His last acting credit was for 2013's April Apocalypse. His social media seems to be a little dead as well, as his last post was in December 2021. It looks like he's in another relationship, but it's unclear after he was arrested in May 2024 for abusing his girlfriend in public if the two are still together any longer.

It's no surprise that Prokop has virtually disappeared off the face of the Earth. Some might even say good riddance, and that it might have been better for all parties involved if Prokop just went away. Unfortunately, the battle scars are still there.

Hyland spoke with Refinery29 last year about the lasting effects of surviving a toxic relationship.

"A lot of people like to think that once you’re out of an abusive situation, it ends there, but it doesn’t. The emotional trauma and scars on the soul stay there, and they impact you for the rest of your life if you don’t get help."

Hyland went on to say, "I still find myself being like, 'Oh, why did I just explode out of nowhere?' I realize it’s tied to certain things, and it’s an endless battle of correcting yourself and having self-love."

Maybe it took so long for her to put it all behind her because Prokop "relentlessly bombarded [her] with vile, threatening and emotionally disturbing texts and voice mails including his own suicide threats."

It took a lot of heartbreak, but at least Hyland's found her soul mate finally.