VIDEO : Modern Family Character Killed Off

Modern Family put major suspicion to rest on Wednesday's Halloween episode by revealing that Mitchell and Claire's mother, DeDe (Shelley Long), has passed away. Creator Steven Levitan tells The Hollywood Reporter, "It occurred to us that death is a giant part of the family experience and while Phil had lost his mother in a previous episode, we've never seen the entire family have to deal with such a loss." CNN reports the popular series is in the midst of what could be the final season and that the producers have been teasing a significant character death since September.