London - Ariel Winter’s producers allegedly wanted to ban her mother from the Modern Family set.
The 14-year-old actress - who is the subject of a guardianship battle after being legally removed from her mother Chrisoula 'Chrystal' Workman's custody and temporarily placed in the care of her older sister Shanelle Gray - was allegedly miserable on the set of the show because her mother made her life a living hell.
A source from the popular comedy series told gossip website TMZ.com that the cast, crew and other mothers on set “hated” Chrystal because she put a huge amount of pressure on her young daughter and would watch her like a hawk on set.
The insider claims she would micromanage Ariel's diet, making her stick to an extreme meal plan consisting of egg whites and raw vegetables and also berated her for her physical appearance constantly, criticising her ears for being too big and calling her ugly.
Crew members were so concerned about her that they allegedly began sneaking Ariel - who plays Alex Dunphy in the series - food when her mother wasn't looking.
Chrystal is also said to have wanted her daughter to earn more money to pay for their house and her professional team of managers, agents and publicists despite the fact she is paid approximately $70 000 per episode.
The source said: “I'm so happy for Ariel that she went to the extreme and got out from under that miserable woman's care.”
Chrystal has denied all allegations of physical and verbal abuse and claims her daughter is only mad because she banned her from sleeping with her 18-year-old Cameron Palatas, who she had been dating for less than six months until recently.
Ariel was previously removed from her mother's care as a young child and placed in foster care, according to reports. - Bang Showbiz