“Modern Family” star and “Love Island USA” host Sarah Hyland spoke Thursday night in Los Angeles at the annual gala for Variety Power of Women presented by Lifetime. In her speech, the four-time SAG Award winner was honored at the event with the inaugural Variety Courage Award presented by Purina, for her work to increase awareness around animal welfare and domestic abuse.
“Accepting this award for courage has made me think about what that word means to me. It takes courage to wake up every morning and face the world knowing that people may have no idea what you are going through,” Hyland said in her speech. “It’s all too easy to feel isolated and misunderstood, no matter how strong you are.”
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Hyland went on to praise the award’s sponsor, Purina, and its animal rights activist partner RedRover for their Purple Leash Project, which helps domestic violence shelters become “pet-friendly.” As Hyland indicated, nearly half of domestic abuse survivors delay leaving because they can’t take their pets with them. Additionally, fewer than 20 percent of domestic violence shelters accept animals. The Purple Leash Project hopes to help survivors bring their furry friends along without having to make “an impossible choice between their safety and the safety of their pets.”
“Since 2019, Purina and RedRover have provided more than 50 Purple Leash Project grants to
domestic violence shelters across the country,” Hyland said. “In the world of isolation they’ve been living in, you cannot underestimate the power of letting them know they’re not alone.”
As a domestic abuse survivor herself, increasing awareness and easing access to support systems is imperative to Hyland’s mission. In her Variety Power of Women interview, the actor shared that she believes that “for thousands of years” victims have not had the space to share their stories, but through her own openness on the subject, she hopes to help change that.
“I feel that if we talk about it more, more women — and men and human beings in general in abusive relationships — will feel more comfortable to be able to talk about it with their loved ones instead of letting their abuser isolate them from everyone, which is the first thing they do, so that you don’t have that community,” Hyland said. “So we have to keep talking about it. It’s really important to be able to help those in need.”
Before accepting her award, Hyland was introduced by her “Modern Family” co-star Julie Bowen, who played her mother on the show for 11 seasons. Watch her introduction below.
