Ariel Winter, 22, stumbled upon a treasure! The Modern Family star was on the hunt for the first ever photo that she snapped with her boyfriend Luke Benward, 24, to complete an Instagram challenge on April 7. While she didn’t exactly meet the criteria — Ariel and Luke were friends long before they started dating in the fall of 2019 — Ariel did manage to find the first candid picture that captured just the actress and Luke. They were caught in the middle of a true lovers’ moment: Luke had his arm wrapped around Ariel’s waist, and looked down with adoration at Ariel.
“Even though we’ve been friends for four years…this is the first photo I could find of just us two aside from a paparazzi photo sooooo this will have to do for this challenge 😂,” Ariel wrote over the photo, which she shared to her Instagram Story. A time stamp for the photo wasn’t provided, but Ariel did give the photographer a shout-out! “This photo was sneakily taken by @theparisberelc,” she added, referring to the Instagram handle of Alexa & Katie star Paris Berelc, 21.
California’s shelter-in-place order hasn’t stopped Ariel and Luke from hanging out amid the coronavirus pandemic! The lovers were seen exiting a studio in Los Angeles on March 24, and Ariel appeared to be holding a script in her hand. We’ll see what that means! Ariel just wrapped filming her last ever episode of Modern Family on Feb. 21, opening her to a world of new possibilities.
Ariel and Luke’s studio run hasn’t been their only hangout in recent weeks. “Ariel and Luke have spent so much time together these past few months so it was a natural decision for them to quarantine together,” a source close to the couple EXCLUSIVELY told HollywoodLife in March. “If anything, this situation is only bringing them closer and giving them a glimpse of what life would be like if they lived together. The fact that they had been close friends for years allowed them to build a connection on more than physical attraction so they truly have a blast whenever they’re together.”
