Sofia Vergara frightened fans after uploading a photo of the Modern Family reunion with a major cast member absent – and possibly ‘dead’.
The ensemble of the iconic US comedy reunited for a fun-filled evening, starring Sarah Hyland, Ed O’Neil, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, and Ariel Winter.
Everyone in the ‘First Modern Family reunion’ huddled together for photos – except Ty Burrell, best known as dad Phil Dunphy.
Sofia, who portrayed Gloria, uploaded a photo of the on-screen family dressed in black and clutching a framed photograph of Ty, 56, causing fans a heart attack.
‘Holding the pic of Phil like he’s deceased,’ read one comment while another said: ‘Bruh i thought Phil died, i almost had a mini heart attack.’
To reassure everyone, Ty is said to be well and only unable to attend the huge reunion, despite how Sofia’s tweet made it appear.
‘Typical Phil, making us think the worse. He should have been the robot iPad thing if he couldn’t make it,’ wrote another surprised fan.
Someone else joked: ‘The floral arrangement in the middle doesn’t help either… and everyone was wearing black.’
Sofia also uploaded a video of Ty’s image on the mantlepiece while saying, ‘Ty, we miss you,’ in another post.
Jesse, who played Mitchell, echoed Sofia’s sobs, and on-screen daughter Sarah added, ‘I love you dad!’
The video pans around the room, finishing with a kiss from Eric Stonestreet, who plays Mitchell’s husband Cam.
Other photos released by the Hot Pursuit star showed her cuddling up to on-screen husband and patriarch Ed O’Neil, while Manny (Rico Rodriguez) grinned.
Mini reunions have occurred throughout the years, like Sarah and Adam Wells’ private wedding last year, but this is the first time that so many of the cast members have gathered at the same time.
Sarah posed with her on-screen sister Ariel, who now has long peach-toned hair, while having a sisterly catch-up with beverages in hand.
Sofia also appeared to be in fits of laughter with Sarah, Jesse, and his husband Justin Mikita, with whom he married in 2013 and has two children.
Phil was a fan favourite for his humorous antics and tries to be a cool dad for his three children, Haley (Sarah), Alex (Ariel), and Luke (Nolan Gould).
Viewers commended Modern Family for portraying a varied family, including a same-sex spouse and a blended stepfamily, through a complicated dynamic and an amazing ensemble cast.
Between 2009 to 2020, the programme aired for 11 seasons, garnering Emmys and even a Golden Globe.
Aside from being concerned for Ty’s safety, fans have speculated whether this is a hint to a future comeback of the programme or a spin-off.