MAIN SHOW_Julie Bowen FULL

Variety

10/25/2024

Transcript

00:00When I was told I was honoring Sarah tonight about her experience as a domestic abuse survivor,

00:08I felt incredibly proud, but also incredibly nervous and anxious because we don't talk

00:14about it.

00:17It is a very private thing, and I was so concerned even about sending in my silly speech and

00:23having it on a teleprompter, so please forgive me as I fumble through with Jesse's glasses.

00:29I love you, Jesse.

00:35These are filthy, Jesse, what the?

00:42Sarah Hyland, otherwise known as my fake daughter from Modern Family, is a big, fat star in

00:50a tiny little body, but that's always the dichotomy of performers, right?

00:56Toughened by years of dance training and splitting time between school and work, kid

01:02actors can grow up into adults who appear fearless and invulnerable.

01:08Look, in a lot of ways, that is true of Sarah.

01:12I recall once working on the first season of Modern Family, and we were shooting outside

01:17at night, and it was getting really freaking cold, and Sarah's character, Haley, was marching

01:23up a hill wearing a micro-mini skirt and completely stupid shoes, almost like these.

01:30And as often happens in television, we had just one more take.

01:36Come on, people.

01:38We all know what one more take is.

01:40That's anywhere between three and ten, if you're not in the industry.

01:43And I noticed Sarah was sort of doubled over as the camera reset between takes, and the

01:49producers were nervous about asking Sarah to keep going.

01:53We all knew the crippling pain that she could be in at times as she was awaiting a kidney

01:58transplant.

02:00So naturally, they asked me, her fake mother, if I thought she'd be okay.

02:06I approached Sarah a little tentatively to ask if she thought she had just one more in

02:11her, and like the battle-tested pro she is, Sarah immediately straightened up and said,

02:18always.

02:20She seemed like a young woman who was invincible, and I rarely worried about her outside of

02:26her health concerns.

02:28So when I got the call one day to ask if I could help extricate her from an abusive domestic

02:34situation, I was stunned.

02:39My tiny dynamo, my little showbiz pro, my force of nature superstar was being victimized.

02:49Yes, she was.

02:53And yes, she got out.

02:55And no, I am not going into the details because abusers love attention, and this fucking piece

03:02of shit will not get any more of my time.

03:13It took real courage for Sarah to ask for help.

03:17Courage because getting out of her situation put Sarah at risk of further physical, psychological,

03:24and emotional abuse, and courage because being a beautiful and successful actress brings

03:29a spotlight with it.

03:31And a spotlight can highlight a glorious, fearless performance, and it is also a spotlight

03:39that can open one up to the scrutiny and criticism of anyone with a keyboard.

03:46So let's just skip to the good part.

03:49In her restraining order against piece of shit, Sarah listed all the conditions she

03:54needed to be met for her to feel safe and to be safe.

03:59And Sarah, I don't know if you even remember this.

04:02I had to look it up online.

04:05There it was.

04:07In your restraining order, you insisted on keeping sweet Barkley Bixby, your dog, with

04:12you.

04:14You knew the importance of feeling safe.

04:16You knew the importance of maintaining bonds, human and animal, when going through a turbulent

04:22time of transition.

04:24You knew that Barkley, unlike the scrutinizing press or the trolls on social media, loved

04:30you unconditionally, and so do I.

04:35So that brings us to the Variety Courage Award and Perina's Purple Leash Project.

04:41Sarah's personal experience has made her a strong advocate for the role dogs play in

04:46our emotional well-being.

04:48And her love for her dogs over the years, Barkley, Carl, and Boo, mirrors what so many

04:54of us feel, especially women who have been abused.

04:59Dogs bring a sense of normalcy, love, and stability when everything else feels out of

05:06control.

05:07They offer companionship without judgment.

05:11And for someone who's been isolated by abuse because that's what abusers do, that kind

05:18of connection can be profoundly healing.

05:22In fact, the bond between a woman and her dog often symbolizes a trust, a trust that

05:29may have been shattered by an abuser, but can be rebuilt through the unconditional love

05:35of a pet.

05:37These loyal animals remind women of their worth, their strength, and that they deserve

05:43to be cared for and loved in return.

05:47Sadly, only 19% of domestic abuse shelters currently allow pets, but through the Purple

05:54Leash Project, Perina is helping to create more pet-friendly shelters.

06:00With the help of donated funds, Perina team members are committing their time and their

06:05energy to help break down barriers, transforming shelters so survivors and pets can escape

06:12and stay together.

06:16My tiny tornado more than escaped.

06:19She thrived.

06:21Her courage to stand up for herself has inspired countless others to do the same.

06:27Sarah, my baby girl, I love you and I am so very proud of you.

06:34So please join me in congratulating Sarah on receiving the first ever Variety Courage

06:40Award presented by Perina.

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