A public custody battle involving "Modern Family" actress Ariel Winter and her parents has been settled, after a court on Monday granted permanent guardianship to the actress's older sister, Shanelle Gray.
According to the Associated Press, Gray has been granted permanent guardianship over her 16-year-old sister until she turns 18 in January 2016. Winter's father will remain in control of the child star's finances.
Winter's mother, Chrisoula Workman, agreed to drop her objections to the ruling only if her daughters watched a video montage of family photos - an attempt to change Winter's mind. The video reportedly moved the family to tears but did not change their decision.
Superior Court Judge Daniel Murphy stated that it would be Winter's personal decision on whether to visit her mother. No comment was made during the hearing by Winter. After the proceedings, both sides released a statement stating that "The family has moved beyond the conflict."
In 2012, Gray filed a petition to become Winter's permanent guardian following claims that their mother was allegedly physically and mentally abusive. Court papers stated that Winter had "been the victim of ongoing physical abuse (slapping, hitting, pushing) and emotional abuse (vile name calling, personal insults about minor and minor's height, attempts to 'sexualize' minor, deprivation of food, etc.) for an extended period of time by the minor's mother [Chrisoula 'Crystal' Workman]..."
Workman denied the allegations, telling People in 2012: "It's all untrue, it's all untrue. I have my doctor's letter that my daughter's never been abused. ... I have stylists' letters that she's never been abused."
Winter moved out of her mother's home and began living with her sister. Gray claimed that their father, Glenn Workman, was incapable of properly taking care of Winter. Last August, Jimmy Workman, the actress's older brother, filed documents asking for full guardianship of Winter.
"My life is definitely more normal and that'll help me grow up like I'm supposed to," Winter said about living with her sister to Teen Vogue in March 2013. "Like, I always wanted to be a dancer, and now I'm taking dance classes. And I didn't have many friends. It was all about work. Nowadays, my sister's like, 'You're supposed to have friends. You're supposed to go out on Friday and Saturday nights.'"
In 2013 Winter told People that her sister was "the most amazing woman [she has] ever met in my life."
