10/22/2014 AT 08:45 PM EDT
“In every aspect of life they’re the best for me,” the actress told PEOPLE Now of her costars on the Emmy-winning ABC sitcom. “We’re always there for each other. And it’s wonderful. I love them.”
Hyland, 23, secured a restraining order against her ex-boyfriend Matt Prokop in September. In court documents obtained by PEOPLE, the star claims the 24-year-old physically and verbally assaulted her throughout their five years together, calling her names and attempting to choke her in May.
It took her TV mom, Julie Bowen, intervening in August to help her end the relationship – which prompted Prokop to allegedly threaten to kill her dog and burn down her house.
But at the Teen Vogue Young Hollywood Party on Sept. 26, her first public appearance since the news broke, Hyland “was cheerful,” an onlooker said.
“She looked like she was having a great time dancing and mingling with friends,” the source told PEOPLE.
Watch the PEOPLE Now clip below:
