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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.