Sarah Hyland & Wells Adams' Relationship Has Some Major Red Flags

Sarah Hyland and Wells Adams are one of our favorite celebrity couples, but even their relationship isn't without red flags. Their romance began as a digital age fairytale when Adams slid into Hyland's DMs following some social media flirtation, and they moved in two years later after around 10 months of long distance dating. They married in 2022 after postponing their nuptials due to the coronavirus pandemic and always seem impossibly happy on social media. Adams even gushed of his wife in a sweet Instagram birthday post in 2024, "You're the smartest, hardest working, immensely talented, kindest, effortlessly hilarious, outrageously strong, and most beautiful human being ever to come into existence. Every day I wake up and thank the heavens you were born on this day." 

While things seem picture perfect on the surface, there are a few things about their relationship that have raised eyebrows. From their vastly different net worths to Hyland's concerns about Adams' investment in their relationship early on, this couple has some major red flags.

There are plenty of celebrities with several years between them who prove age gap relationships can work, but Sarah Hyland and Wells Adams may find him being more than six years older than her causes problems. The best age gap for a successful relationship, according to a 2017 study, is three years — half their age difference (National Library of Medicine). Equally, a 2018 study found that the larger the age gap between married partners after five years, the more likely the relationship is to end in divorce (SSRN).

Part of the reason age gap relationships can prove difficult is because those in them may, knowingly or otherwise, be in different places in their lives. When Hyland and Wells tied the knot in 2022, she was 31 and he was 38. While it may not always a dealbreaker of a red flag, people in their early 30s can have different wants and needs to those nearing their 40s.

Sarah Hyland and Wells Adams met online after she first saw him on "The Bachelorette" Season 12 competing for JoJo Fletcher's heart. The "Modern Family" star's thirsty tweets confirmed she had an instant attraction to him: "Ugh! @WellsAdams making a Lord of the Flies reference on men tell all??? #knewhewasthebestfromthestart #menwhoreadarehot," she wrote in July 2016. Then, in August 2017, the actor tweeted about him landing a role as bartender on "Bachelor In Paradise." "OH MY GOD @WellsAdams IS THE FRIKKIN BARTENDER?! Best. Season. Ever," she wrote. That caught his attention, and he responded by referencing her "Modern Family" dad. "Taking applications for #BIP5 bar backs now. Please send references.. Preferably from Phil Dunphy. I'm kidding the job is yours @Sarah_Hyland," he joked.

The problem here? Hyland was in a two-year relationship with "Vampire Academy" star Dominic Sherwood at the time. Hyland and Sherwood's split was confirmed three days after her X, formerly known as Twitter, interaction with Wells. Just two months later, she posted an Instagram photo with the podcast host wearing "Stranger Things"–inspired Halloween costumes. A source told Us Weekly that October, "[They've been] seeing each other for months." 

There are no rules for how long someone should wait post-breakup to date, though Hyland flirting so openly while in a serious relationship and then moving on so quickly may be a red flag. It could suggest she jumped into the romance without being properly healed from her previous one or wasn't respectful of her relationship's boundaries.

As a cast member on "Modern Family," Sarah Hyland earned herself an impressive sum, with Celebrity Net Worth claiming she's worth $14 million. Adams, though, is reportedly worth significantly less, with The U.S. Sun putting his net worth at $400,000 in 2020. Hyland, who's undergone a stunning transformation since first appearing on the sitcom, also has more earning potential than her spouse. Deadline reported in 2017 she made more than $100,000 per episode for the later seasons of "Modern Family" (equating to over $1.8 million per season), while Cosmopolitan estimated Adams makes between $500,000 and $1 million per season as the "Bachelor In Paradise" bartender.

As Nicole Moore, celebrity relationship expert and "Love Works" podcast host, told us while analyzing the potential red flags between Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds, one partner having a lot more money can sometimes lead to tension. "While couples having disparate incomes is not always a problem, in some couples it turns into a power struggle dynamic," she explained.

In 2020, Wells Adams joked he was ready to divorce Sarah Hyland ... before they were even married. During an Instagram Live with former "The Bachelor" host Chris Harrison, Wells teased how upset he was after Hyland took a piece of a puzzle he'd completed. "She was in the bathroom when I finished [the puzzle] this morning and then I lost my mind. She comes trotting out, [asks] 'What's wrong babe?' And I go, 'Just go look. Just go look over there,'" he said (via Us Weekly). "...Then [she] came back and had, like, this s**t-eating grin on her face and she had stolen the last piece. And we're not married yet but I've already filed for divorce!"

Of course, the reality star was only kidding about ending their relationship, but joking about divorce isn't something we'd recommend. The word carries a lot of weight, and using it, even in a playful, unserious fashion, can be upsetting and give the impression that a split is something that's genuinely being thought about. Equally, in Hyland and Wells' case, because of their immense fame, something said so publicly is online forever, which may make it harder for them to move past.

Sarah Hyland revealed a big red flag during her early relationship with Wells Adams on his and Brandi Cyrus' "Your Favorite Thing" podcast in 2018 — and it involved another woman. Hyland recalled wondering if "The Bachelorette" star was serious about her after he slid into her DMs following her split with Dean Sherwood. "You were DMing me and being like, 'Next time I'm in L.A. we're getting drinks and tacos' and I was, like, 'Okay!'" Hyland told him. After chatting online, the former "Love Island USA" host decided to listen to his podcast to learn more about him but became jealous after hearing him speak about a woman called Liz. "I remember we were kind of talking online ... There was this whole Liz thing," Hyland said, referring to a friend of Cyrus' who Adams had expressed interest in. "I remember being like, 'How serious is he actually about me? Is he actually serious about me or is this just a whatever thing?'" she said.

Dating multiple people before agreeing to be exclusive with one isn't a red flag as long as everyone is aware the situation. However, if you're dating someone who doesn't communicate their intentions, that can be a bad sign. It may suggest they're not serious about you or they aren't a good communicator, which won't bode well in a serious relationship.