'Modern Family' star Ariel Winter says body shaming 'totally damaged my self-esteem'

USA Today

08-05-2025

'Modern Family' star Ariel Winter says body shaming 'totally damaged my self-esteem'
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'Modern Family': Ariel Winter, Nolan Gould talk growing up on show
Known for playing Alex and Luke Dunphy on ABC's "Modern Family," Ariel Winter and Nolan Gould talk growing up before the fans' eyes over the decade.
USA TODAY
Ariel Winter is getting real about the emotional toll of body shaming.
In an interview with People magazine published May 7, the "Modern Family" star, 27, reflected on being subjected to negative comments scrutinizing her appearance while she was a child actor. Winter played Alex Dunphy, the middle child of the Dunphy family, on the ABC sitcom for 11 seasons.
"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," Winter shared. "I mean, I was 14. It totally damaged my self-esteem."
She continued, "I understood what it was like to be hated. No matter what I was going through, I was a target. It made it very difficult to look at myself in the mirror and go, 'I love this version of me.'"
Winter grew up in the public eye starring on "Modern Family," which debuted on ABC in 2009, when she was 11, and ended in 2020, when she was 22. She started acting at the age of four and before "Modern Family" had already appeared in films like "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" and shows like "Nip/Tuck."
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Winter previously reflected on body shaming in a 2021 episode of "Red Table Talk: The Estefans," remembering how she was called "fat" at age 13 after "I had gained weight and my body changed."
The actress, who explained she gained weight after she started taking antidepressants, also said she received comments labeling her "a horrible role model" for "trying to be sexy."
In a 2016 interview with Teen Vogue, Winter shared that she has "struggled with self-esteem and body confidence for years," adding that it was "really difficult" to receive cruel comments about her appearance.
"I tried to lose weight, I crash dieted, I tried to change what I looked like so I would fit this standard, and it never worked," Winter told the outlet. "I got to a certain point where I realized I was never going to please people, so I decided to make myself happy instead. I'm so grateful I made that decision, because it really made a difference for me."
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In her new interview with People magazine, Winter revealed she no longer lives in Los Angeles, where she grew up.
Though she clarified she "didn't leave the industry" and will continue to act, she said she decided to move out of the city because it "holds some not-great memories for me, and I'm young and never lived anywhere else, and thought, 'Why not?'"