Matt Prokop, Sarah Hyland’s Ex Boyfriend: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know

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Last month, Sarah Hyland and her boyfriend of five years, Matt Prokop, split.

TMZ just reported that Hyland had to get a restraining order against him after he physically and verbally abused her.

During one altercation, he choked her and repeatedly called her a “c**t.” As a result she suffered throat injuries.

The actor was a guest star on Modern Family on their “Disneyland” episode in Season 3.

Here’s what you need to know about the 24-year-old, his career, and relationship with Hyland.

1. He Moved in With Sarah at 19

Exclusive: Sarah Hyland and her boyfriend Matt Prokop have split after five years of dating http://t.co/uqqWHXIvsZ pic.twitter.com/jjoXN0NWvn

— Us Weekly (@usweekly) August 26, 2014

The pair had a home together in L.A., complete with a dog named Barkley Bixby.

Hyland had told OK! above their new step:

I love living in L.A. It’s quieter. It’s much more relaxing. I’m living in a house for the first time ever. I have a backyard for the first time ever; a dog for the first time ever. So it’s a lot of firsts, and I love it so much. It’s just so different. It’s a nice change of pace.

After Hyland got a kidney transplant in 2012, she told Seventeen that her boyfriend was very supportive:

He helps me with my medication and takes me to doctor appointments and all the stuff that I need to do to take care of myself. Any other 21-year-old guy would not be there, I guarantee it. I am one of the luckiest people in the world to have him be there for me.

2. They Starred in ‘Geek Charming’ Together

They played each other’s love interests in the 2011 Disney Channel Original Movie.

“It’s kind of sad that couples don’t want to work together, it’s like, ‘Wow, you really don’t like the person you’re with?’ I’d rather kiss her then some random person I just met,” Prokop told Radio Disney.

Hyland played Dylan, the popular girl in high school, who falls in love with the film nerd in her school, Josh, played by Prokop.

Their first date was at Casa Vega, a Mexican restaurant. “We got to talking and I think it was on the date that we realized we didn’t have to work to impress each other. We were both there for the right reasons. It just felt so natural,” he told Seventeen.

3. He Dated Sarah for 5 Years Until They Split

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When they broke things off, a rep for Hyland told Us, “Sarah’s doing fine. It didn’t work out. She’s young. They decided they would be better off as friends.”

The split became apparent when Hyland walked the 2014 Emmys red carpet without him by her side.

In 2011, Celebuzz asked if they ever butt heads, to which Prokop answered, “There are a lot of things that she has to go to and I’m just like—uh—do I have to go?”

4. There Are Reports That He’s Still in Contact With Her

Ugh! Hollywood’s cutest couple has called it quits after FIVE years http://t.co/azx7mM6lQd pic.twitter.com/zFTeUWcdgK

— Teen (@teen) August 26, 2014

Star Magazine reported that the actress may take legal action against her ex before the TMZ report came out.

An insider told the magazine, “He calls and texts her constantly and has even said some strange things about her and her dog. She’s terrified and wants her stop.”

Julie Bowen, Hyland’s on-screen mom, intervened to help end things. According to TMZ, after he threw a lighter at Hyland, Bowen, “stepped in and told Sarah to get out of the house because she wasn’t safe around Prokop.”

5. He Deactivated His Instagram Account

(Instagram)

Although he stopped using Instagram, he did use Twitter to document his heartbreak.

He posted these telling tweets after the split:

Wake me up when it’s over.

— Matt Prokop (@mattpro13) August 17, 2014

Here comes that sun again… Means another day without you my friend.

— Matt Prokop (@mattpro13) August 17, 2014