Ariel Winter in tears over emotional courtroom video

Modern Family star Ariel Winter broke down in tears in court on Monday (05May14) as her mother staged a last-ditch attempt to win back custody of her estranged daughter.

Chrystal Workman played home video footage featuring clips of the actress' childhood as she attempted to persuade the TV star to change her mind about living with her older sister Shanelle following a family bust-up in 2012.

Her mom told the court she would relinquish her bid to reclaim her parental rights over Ariel if her daughter agreed to watch the video.

Her ploy didn't work, despite the tears, and Winter refused to go home, prompting a judge to sign off on Shanelle's permanent guardianship, according to TMZ.com.

Ariel and her mother split after the actress accused her of emotionally and physically abusing her.