Family legal dispute

In August 2013, Workman petitioned a court that he be granted custody of his then-15-year-old sister, actress Ariel Winter, stating that their other sister, Shanelle Gray, was an "unfit guardian" and a poor role model for Winter. Gray had been granted temporary guardianship of Winter in November 2012, following the accusation that their mother, Chrisoula Workman, had been physically and emotionally abusive toward Winter. ^[1] Workman, who spoke on behalf of their mother to dispute the accusations that had been leveled at her,^[9] lobbied the court for custody by stating that Gray allowed Winter to be publicly "sexualized", exploited Winter to promote her acting school, and used the money Winter earned as a cast member of the TV series Modern Family to finance "lavish parties and limousines," which Workman stated had torn their family apart. Workman also told the court that their father, Glenn Workman, who was in charge of Winter's estate, was unfit because his poor financial situation made him vulnerable to manipulation by Gray and her lawyers.^[1]

In May 2014, a settlement was reached among the parties by which Gray would retain custody of Winter, with Glenn Workman maintaining control of her finances, and making required reports to the court. Superior Court Judge Daniel Murphy would retain jurisdiction over Winter until she turned 18 (January 28, 2016), while Gray and Chrisoula Workman later released a statement stating that they were working toward reconciliation.^[10]