Fact Check: Is Phil from Modern Family alive? Ty Burrell death speculation sparks fan concern as reunion photo goes viral

Three years after Modern Family aired the series finale, the cast of the hit sitcom reunited on Wednesday, November 14. The images of the reunion shared by actress Sofia Vergara on social media went viral online, amassing several hundred thousand views in a span of a few hours.

However, the absence of a vital cast member, Ty Burrell, aka Phil Dunphy, raised concerns. The cast members were seen holding up a picture featuring Burrell in photos posted on Instagram. Concerns intensified when it was pointed out by a fan that most of the cast was wearing black, giving some fans the impression that they were in mourning.

However, there is no merit to the speculation online suggesting Ty Burell is dead. Ty Burrell, who is alive, appears to have simply missed the reunion.

As concern for the actor intensified online, a representative for Burrell told Business Insider that the actor was fine, adding he missed the reunion as he lived in a different state.

Actress Ariel Winter also cleared up the confusion surrounding the picture in an Instagram Post. Winter reassured fans that while she was aware the image seemed suggestive of the fact that the cast was paying tribute to Burrell, the actor is indeed alive and will be available in person for the next reunion. She said:

"I can see how this looks but Ty is alive and well I PROMISE. He’ll definitely be there for the next one."

Meanwhile, actor Eric Stonestreet explained that he decided to bring out Burrell's picture after the actor couldn't make it to their impromptu reunion.

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Modern Family actor Ty Burell is alive and well

The concerns about Ty Burrell were amplified after a video on actress Sofia Vergara’s Instagram account showed a photo of Burrell up on the fireplace as the cast yelled out "We miss you Ty' and a loud 'I love you dad.'

The series of posts sending love to Ty Burrell left fans fearing for the actor’s well-being. A social media user said:

“The way I had a heart attack because I thought Phil wasn't with us anymore.”

Reacting to the image where the Modern Family cast was seen holding a framed image of the actor, a netizen said:

“Holding the pic of Phil like he’s deceased.”

However, clearing up the wild speculation online, a social media user said:

“For a moment I thought Ty Burrell (Phil) had passed away since they were holding up his picture as if it were a memorial. Fortunately, he's still alive. I checked. Probably just couldn't make it to the reunion.”

In addition to the concerning posts, actress Sofia Vergara also posted images posing alongside Ed O’neil, who played her husband Jay Pritchett in Modern Family.

Modern Family, which ran for 11 seasons from 2009-2020, won twenty-two Primetime Emmy Awards, including Ty Burrell taking home the prize for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series in 2017.