Jay Pritchett and Claire Dunphy are two of the more similar characters in Modern Family. As father and daughter, they're both headstrong and competitive but they're also incredibly loving. Life has handed both Claire and Jay curveballs but they've always leaned on each other when things get too hard. Although they had spouses to go to, sometimes all they needed was each other.
Through all the sweet times the two had on screen, there were also hard times. Jay and Claire were so alike that they butted heads from time to time and were sometimes too embarrassed and proud to turn to each other. Their relationship certainly improved over the course of the show, but it took time. Jay was also not the most present of fathers when Claire and her brother Mitchell were kids, which resulted in lifelong trauma for the two.
Jay & Claire's Best Moments
Jay Handed The Company To Claire
Fans never thought they'd see the day where Jay was ready to retire from the closet industry. In one of Modern Family's Christmas episodes, Jay's gift to Claire was the title of CEO at Pritchett's Closets and Blinds.
Jay handing the company to Claire meant that he trusted her with a business that he built from the ground up. And while his delivery of her gift wasn't the greatest, Claire was honored by the gesture and took over the company.
He Walked Her Down The Aisle
In season 1, Phil and Claire noted that they never had a big, fancy wedding. After getting pregnant with Haley unexpectedly, they went to the courthouse and that was that. But when the family vacationed in Hawaii, Phil wanted it to be a special trip for Claire and him.
With the family's help, Phil created an island wedding. Claire was stunned by the gesture but she became even more emotional when her dad was waiting with a bouquet, ready to walk her down the aisle. Phil and Claire's relationship was deemed perfect as Jay walked her down the aisle.
A Payment & A Repayment
"Grill Interrupted" had a unique storyline between Claire, Mitchell, and Jay. Mitchell admitted that he and Cam came into a bit of money. Claire suggested that as a birthday gift, Mitchell should pay Jay back for the money he lent him years prior. Mitchell reminded Claire that Jay also paid for Claire and Phil's downpayment for their house and that she should also repay Jay. Claire didn't want to, but she and Phil repaid Jay to thank him for their home.
Claire was sour throughout the day after losing all that money, but it was the right thing to do. Funnily enough, Jay knew that Claire and Mitchell would be paranoid over repaying him and never intended on cashing the checks. He just wanted to see his kids sweat a little, which shows how close the two really were. Jay knew his daughter needed the money and didn't cash the check because of it.
A Shoulder To Lean On
Phil was one of the more likable characters on Modern Family, but that didn't mean that Claire loved everything about him. In the first season, Claire was upset at Phil for never listening to her and then taking the same advice from other people.
Claire spent the day with her dad and told him everything about Phil that bothered her. Jay played Devil's advocate and tried seeing the argument from both sides. As funny and tense as these scenes were, Jay proved himself a good listener for his daughter, and Claire was comfortable enough opening up to him.
Perfectly In Sync In Australia
Phil's mother's passing was one of the saddest character deaths in Modern Family, even though viewers never saw her. Phil, however, had nothing but praise for his mother and had sweet stories about her. To feel more connected, Phil and the family went to a special place for her, Australia.
While in Australia, Jay and Claire were more in sync than ever. They talked about business strategies the entire time. They were often in their own little world, whispering about work instead of being present for Phil's sake. Despite Phil's feelings on their behavior, this was one of the closest moments fans have seen between Claire and Jay.
Jay & Claire's Worst Moments
Jay Couldn't Let Go Of Controlling Pritchett's Closets & Blinds
After a couple of months of retirement, Jay missed the days of having a purpose. Claire could have used Jay's help at work but she had too much pride to ask. Likewise, Jay's pride got the best of him when he hired Claire's assistant, Ben, to be his secret agent.
Ben told Jay all about Claire's business decisions but it blew up in his face when Claire found out. Claire made Ben a double agent to get back at her dad, which resulted in a blow-up at dinner. Although Ben was Claire's assistant (and later, Alex's love interest), he couldn't say no to Claire and Jay. Jay ended up going back to work for Claire, but if the two were honest with each other, the sneaking around wouldn't have had to happen.
Jay & Claire Don't Know How To Stop
Jay raised Claire to be hardworking and dedicated, but her perfectionism and workaholic tendencies became some of the things that make no sense about Claire. It didn't matter if she was sick or stuck in traffic, Jay taught Claire to fight and never give up. As great as those lessons were, they also made things worse at times.
Claire had a big business meeting but her flu was too powerful. She had a case of vertigo and could barely stand. She ended up fainting in the hotel lobby before the meeting because she pushed herself too hard. When she made it to Jay's for family dinner that night, she apologized for not getting the job done, which made Jay look cold. The entire family judged Jay for how he raised Claire because she was clearly ignoring her health just so her dad was proud of her.
Little Bunny Foo Foo
After working with her dad for several years, Claire exceeded at her job; so much so that another company liked what they saw and wanted to hire her. Claire loved the fact that someone else wanted to hire her from under her dad because then Jay would realize how valuable she was.
Claire went back and forth between both companies, which made her look a touch unprofessional. It wouldn't have made sense for Claire to leave the family business and the game she was playing with her dad was senseless and unfair. All Claire had to do was communicate with Jay about how she was feeling instead of playing a game in order to elicit a reaction from him.
The Truth About Phil
When Jay and Claire went to ClosetCon for the weekend, Claire found out some troubling news. At the start of her relationship with Phil, Jay tried to break them up. With the help of his friend in the closet business, they offered Phil a job in Texas, hoping that he would break up with Claire and take it.
Instead, Phil turned down the offer because his love for Claire was more than his need for a job. Claire was disgusted that her dad would stoop so low, and to make matters worse, he didn't seem remorseful over his actions.
A Hard Childhood
In "Sarge and Pea," Claire, Mitchell, and Jay went to a wedding where they were shocked to see DeDe also in attendance. DeDe was Jay's first wife and Claire and Mitchell's mother. Claire and Mitch didn't want to be at the wedding anymore because time with both their mom and dad was too painful.
It brought up unfortunate memories of their childhood, which resulted in Jay apologizing for not always being the most loving or present father. The unanswered questions of their childhood were answered in this episode as Claire and Mitch tried to heal from their youth.