Sofia Vergara & ‘Modern Family’ Actors File Lawsuit Against Studio

BEVERLY HILLS, CA - JANUARY 15: (L-R) Actors Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Sofia Vergara, creator/producer Steven Levitan, actors Sarah Hyland, Ty Burrell, Nolan Gould, Eric Stonestreet, Julie Bowen, Rico Rodriguez, Ed O'Neill and Ariel Winter, winners of the Best Television Series - Musical or Comedy award for "Modern Family" pose for a portrait backstage at the 69th Annual Golden Globe Awards held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 15, 2012 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Christopher Polk/Getty Images) (2012 Getty Images)

Sofía Vergara and her fellow “Modern Family” actors are not happy these days.

Vergara and cast members Ty Burrell, Julie Bowen, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Eric Stonestreet, and Ed O’Neill filed a lawsuit against 20th Century FOX Television, the studio that makes the show for ABC, on Wednesday to void their contracts, says The Hollywood Reporter.

The lawsuit filed in the Los Angeles Superior Court states that the actors contracts were violated according to California’s “7 Year rule,” which does not allow for personal service deals to last longer than seven years.

This loophole in the state of California is a strategy commonly used by actors who want to annul their contracts while in the process of renegotiating their contracts and  seeking higher pay.

THR says the actors are demanding a salary increase. Negotiations have already caused major delays in filming the fourth season of the show.

Sources tell THR that the cast members (excluding O’Neill who is being represented by his personal attorney, but joined the group lawsuit out of solidarity) have been offered salary increases, but the cast is asking for double the amount offered if “Modern Family” goes on for season eight and nine.

20th FOX Century had no comment on the lawsuit.

The news of the complaint comes just as Vergara is once again a nominee for the 64th annual primetime Emmy Awards in the category of outstanding supporting actress in a comedy for her role as “Gloria Delgado-Pritchett” on the show.

"Modern Family," honored as best comedy series for the past two years, was the sitcom leader with 14 bids in the category.

Vergara is up against Mayim Bialik, "The Big Bang Theory," CBS; Kathryn Joosten, "Desperate Housewives," ABC; Julie Bowen, "Modern Family," ABC;  Merritt Wever, "Nurse Jackie," Showtime; and Kristen Wiig, "Saturday Night Live," NBC.