A settlement has been reached regarding the guardianship of Ariel Winter.



A Los Angeles judge has granted Shanelle Gray, the "Modern Family" star's older sister, permanent guardianship of the actress.





A temporary guardianship was granted in 2012 after Gray filed a petition alleging that their mother, Chrisoula Workman, subjected Winter to physical and emotional abuse. Workman denied the claims.

Winter, 16, will continue living with Gray and her brother-in-law, and will decide whether she wants to visit her mother.

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Workman and Gray announced the agreement on Monday just before a guardianship trial was set to begin.

According to the AP, Ariel was present in court and cried while watching a video montage of family photos after the agreement was announced. Workman told the court she would relinquish her bid to reclaim her parental rights over her daughter if Winter agreed to watch the video. Clearly, it was not enough to get the young actress to change her mind.

Last year, Ariel opened up about her family issues for the first time.

"I didn't know my sister much growing up, and I wasn't really allowed to see her," Winter told Teen Vogue. "I know now that my sister is the type of person I'd aspire to grow up to be like. It's really interesting how close you can get with somebody in such a short period."

Ariel also detailed how her sister is helping her feel like a normal teenager for the first time.

"I've never had a curfew before. My life is definitely more normal — and that'll help me grow up like I'm supposed to," she said. "And I didn't have many friends. It was all about work. Nowadays, my sister's like, 'You're supposed to have friends. You're supposed to go out on Friday and Saturday nights.'"

She continued, "I had body insecurities when I was younger. I still do. Every girl has insecurities — mine were heightened at the time because my mother wasn't supportive." (Court documents filed by her sister included allegations that their mother insulted Ariel's weight and deprived her of food.) "Now, my sister is always making sure to tell me that I look beautiful."

The siblings' father, Glenn Workman, was named guardian of Winter's finances. The orders are effective until Ariel turns 18 on Jan. 28, 2016.