"Modern Family" star Ariel Winter is opening up about how the media brutally criticized her physical appearance during her time on the ABC sitcom.
Winter was 14 years old when she began playing the role of Alex Dunphy and would go on to appear in 11 seasons of the 22-time Emmy-winning series, but reaching that level of fame can come with its downsides, as she soon discovered.
"It was every headline I read about myself, like, grown people writing articles about me saying how I looked terrible or pregnant or like a fat slut. I mean, I was 14," Winter said in an interview with People. "It totally damaged my self-esteem."
Winter said that, regardless of what she was going through in her personal life, she "was a target."
"It made it very difficult to look at myself in the mirror and go, 'I love this version of me,'" she said.
In a 2021 appearance on "Red Table Talk: The Estefans," Winter spoke candidly about the criticism, sharing a similar story of being called "a fat slut" at age 13.
"That was rough. Because I gained weight, and my body changed; I had to wear different outfits, and I wore a dress that had a cutout here," she said, pointing to her chest, according to People. "And the headlines were dark. 'Fat slut' was rough for me, and it continued."
Adding to the challenges, she had previously gone through a highly publicized and strained relationship with her mother, Chrisoula Workman, whom she has accused of abuse, claims that Workman has denied publicly.
At age 14, Winter was placed under the care of her older sister, Shanelle Gray, after the Department of Child and Family Services removed her from her family home.
"I went on to have a great rest of my teenage years thanks to being under her custody," Winter told People of her older sister, who became her legal guardian.
Three years after being placed in her sister's care, Winter was legally emancipated and recognized as an adult; she has since had no contact with her mother.
After "Modern Family" wrapped in 2020, Winter and her boyfriend relocated from Los Angeles, though she said she never stepped away from the entertainment industry. Beyond her acting career, she's also involved with SOSA (Safe From Online Sex Abuse), an organization focused on safeguarding youth from online predators.
"Technically, yes, I'm a survivor. I've gone through some [expletive]" Winter said. "But a lot of people have gone through some [expletive]. Calling me a survivor takes away from what I'm here for, which is to help others and shine a spotlight on those that need it."
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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