Word on the streets says that Matt Prokop’s Hollywood career has taken a nosedive ever since his breakup with Sarah Hyland. And no, “the breakup” is not the major reason; his actions are.
Matt Prokop’s breakup with Sarah is punctuated with too many stories of the abuse he meted on her during their relationship. And it seems that the evil men do, no longer wait till they are gone.
Matt is definitely having a hard time landing roles in Hollywood since the breakup. Let’s get into the juicy gist.
Sarah Hyland and Matt Prokop’s Dating Story
Meeting for the first time in 2008 at an audition for High School Musical 3, they started dating and soon also moved in together.
In early 2011, they started filming the Disney TV movie Geek Charming. Hyland debuted on the ABC sitcom Modern Family in 2009, taking up the role of Hayley and proving herself as a shooting star in the sitcom world.
Sarah Hyland starred as Dylan Schoenfield and Matt Prokop portrayed Josh Rosen in the 2011 Disney Channel Original Movie Geek Charming (Credit: YouTube / Disney)
Prokop, on the other hand, was enjoying his time as a Disney teen idol. He had earlier hit stardom in 2006, playing Troy McCann in an episode of Hannah Montana and Jimmie Zara in 2008 High School Musical 3: Senior Year.
The two youngsters blazed the trails on their various ends until they met and started a love wildfire. Soon after they fell in love, they moved in together and bought a dog, Barkley Bixby, a Maltipoo breed.
Matt Prokop plays a film geek trying to create a documentary on high school popularity (Credit: YouTube / Disney)
Everyone saw potential and some level of seriousness in the relationship when, in 2012, Prokop became a guest star on Modern Family. The show cast him as Ethan, Hayley’s love interest in Season 3, Episode 22.
Matt Prokop as Ethan in “Disneyland,” the 22nd episode of the third season of the American sitcom Modern Family and the series’ 70th overall (Credit: YouTube / ABC)
Of course, everything seemed rosy, and they were just the perfect couple – in public. While maintaining a loving public image, the relationship behind the scenes was sitting on a keg of gunpowder, which soon exploded. The couple went their separate ways in 2014 after four years of dating. How sad!
The Aftermath of a Public Breakup: Career Impacts and Personal Struggles
Although everyone had believed it was just a breakup between two lovers whose lovers had withered, there was some nasty side to it. Nothing was normal about their breakup.
Hyland had a three-year temporary restraining order against Prokop with claims that he physically and verbally abused her during the relationship.
Sarah Hyland and Matt Prokop seemed to be in love while promoting Geek Charming (Credit: Fox News / YouTube)
Shocking right? According to the official legal documents, Prokop was a source of verbal and physical terror to Sarah during the four years of their relationship.
Hyland laid accusations against Prokop for choking her so tightly during a fight, preventing her from breathing and speaking. Worst of all, his violence extended to their beloved dog, Barkley Bixby, as he threatened to hurt the poor little puppy several times.
Hyland and Prokop’s breakup was totally insane. Life&Style reports that Hyland was so traumatized by the violence she requested the presence of her onscreen mom, Julie Bowen, when she broke up with Prokop.
Sarah Hyland and Matt Prokop started dating after meeting in 2008 at an audition for High School Musical 3 (Credit: Shutterstock / S-Buckley)
True to his nature, Prokop, the former teen idol, decoded what was going on and went into a rage. He allegedly threatened to burn down one of Sarah’s homes and make sure she never sees Barkley again.
Luckily for Hyland, she never had to deal with his threats again after the breakup. The restraining order that she got against him made sure he could never contact her again.
After the breakup, Hyland subtly expressed her pain about the situation when she told Meredith Vieria, “People need to experience things to become the present version of themselves.”
American actor Matthew Ray Prokop is best known for his role as Jimmie “The Rocket Man” Zara in High School Musical 3: Senior Year and Josh Rosen in the Disney Channel’s Geek Charming (Credit: Joe Seer / Shutterstock)
Leaving the horrible relationship did not dampen Hyland’s belief in love and relationship. She later told Life & Style that her perfect man is the one who makes her laugh. She is reported saying, “I don’t think much about looks. It’s mainly personality, honestly – sincerity, drive, ambition, and a sense of humor.”
And since then, Hyland has had other love stories and relationships, although it took many more heartbreaks for her to find the one.
Matt Prokop Gets Canceled For Abusing Hyland
Apart from losing his relationship, Matt Prokop lost access to many doors in Hollywood, especially Disney, following abuse allegations. His acting career has since gone up in flames.
After his last acting stint in 2013 April Apocalypse, he has not been seen in any film or TV projects again. Going through his social media, you’d think he disappeared from the planet. The last post on his page was in December 2020.
In September 2014, Sarah Hyland obtained a temporary restraining order against ex-boyfriend Matt Prokop (Credit: Joe Seer / Shutterstock)
Anyway, like Hyland, Mark seems to have another try at relationships, but there’s no recent news about if they are still together. It looks like he’s basically dead to everyone. Some fans think that it would have been great for both parties if he just actually disappeared. However, whether or not he does, his reputation will probably never recover.
Even worse is that the scars he’s inflicted on Hyland will always remain there. In discussion with Refinery29, Hyland reminisces on her toxic relationship and the lifelong effects she’s left to struggle with.
She is reported saying, “Many people like to think that once you have come out of an abusive situation, it ends there, but it doesn’t. Your soul soaks up all the emotional trauma and scars affecting you for the rest of your life if you don’t seek help.” she continues, “Even now, I find myself being like, ‘Oh why did I just explode out of nowhere?’ And I realize that it is connected to particular events, and I am in an endless battle of correcting myself and building self-love.”
Sarah Hyland in a black cross-shouldered Ani dress and chain-embellished Bebe heels with her boyfriend Matt Prokop at the 2010 Teen Vogue Young Hollywood Party held at Paramount Studios in Los Angeles on October 1, 2010 (Credit: Jaguar PS / Shutterstock)
Hyland probably took so long to heal and move on from her violent relationship because Prokop never ceased to bombard her with disgusting, emotionally disturbing, and threatening texts and voicemails. Not only did he threaten to hurt her, but he also tried to blackmail her with his own suicide texts.
Eventually, Hyland found peace from the restraining order, which mandated Prokop to keep a 100 yards distance from Hyland and her dog, Barkley.
“His grip was so tight that I could not breathe or speak. I was scared and in fear for my life,” she said in the count documents asking for a restraining order.
And while the court ordered him not to be near her job or workplace or even own or possess a gun, Hollywood has placed their unwritten restraining order on him: You will not be seen 100 yards near a movie role again!
Sarah Hyland in an embellished Marchesa gown at the 64th Primetime Emmy Awards at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live on September 23, 2012, in Los Angeles, California (Credit: Nikki Nelson / WENN)
Give a girl the right pair of earrings, and she can rule the world… err, the red carpet I mean.
In September 2012, ABC’s “Modern Family” star Sarah Hyland pleased her fashion critics when she showed up at the 64th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards looking like a Grecian goddess in a grey-white Marchesa gown she co-designed.
She later changed into a black flowery Marchesa dress accessorized with Lorraine Schwartz bracelet and earrings, to attend the Emmy after-party in Los Angeles.
Sarah Hyland in a black strapless cocktail dress at the FOX Broadcasting Company, Twentieth Century FOX Television, and FX post-Emmy party held at Soleto on September 23, 2012, in Los Angeles (Credit: Adriana M. Barraza / WENN)
Don’t you agree that Sarah Hyland’s Grecian-inspired look went well with her beautiful exotic face?
Sarah Hyland shows off her Lorraine Schwartz earrings (Credit: Adriana M. Barraza / WENN)
Even her boyfriend Matt Prokop couldn’t keep his eyes (and arms) off of his girlfriend!
Sarah Hyland dated Geek Charming co-star Matt Prokop for almost 5 years (Credit: Adriana M. Barraza / WENN)
You can actually copy this Grecian-inspired look using a curling iron and some hair serum. But as for the accessories that added the “oomph!” to Sarah’s outfit, you can get them for less with the following options:
Soixante Neuf Smoky Quartz & Gold Chandelier Earrings, $245
Kenneth Jay Lane Gold & Black Bead Chandelier Earrings, $75
Danielle Stevens Blue Glass & Gold Plate Drop Earrings, $40