Latest news with #AlexDunphy
Yahoo
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Ariel Winter recalls harrowing experiences with Hollywood 'male predators'
Ariel Winter received "inappropriate messages from older men" when she was a child. The 27-year-old star found fame through her role as Alex Dunphy on the sitcom Modern Family and has revealed how she had to deal with the unwanted attention of "male predators" from an early age. Speaking to Ariel said: "I am familiar with male predators because I worked in Hollywood at a young age. I started at age four. I don't wanna say too much about it, but by the time I was on a laptop and cell phone, I was getting inappropriate messages from older men, and it caused trauma." She added: "The experiences I had in person and online as a child have affected me so deeply that I've had to go to therapy for it. The movie and TV industry is a dark place." Ariel featured for the duration of Modern Family's 11-season run and admits that she found it difficult to come to terms with show ending in 2020. She said earlier this year: "It was hard. "We were like a real family. It was weird knowing it would just be over, and I wouldn't get to see everybody all the time anymore. It was like, wait, yeah, wait, we're not going to be together on Monday? So on the one hand, I didn't want it to end, but at the same time, I was ready to start something new as an adult." Ariel was just 11 years of age when Modern Family began and she did not suspect that the programme would go on to become so popular. She said: "I was 11 when it started. I don't think I had any idea of it was going to be successful or not. I was just like, 'Oh awesome, I got a job.' "What I was so excited for was to get the chance to work with Al Bundy (Ed O'Neill, who portrayed her grandfather Jay Pritchett in the comedy). "But once the show started, it was an immediate hit, and it was so exciting to have that opportunity. And being on the same show for so long? I feel like that doesn't really happen anymore."
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Ariel Winter Puts Her Life On The Line To Help Catch Online Child Predators
, best known for her role as Alex Dunphy on "Modern Family," has taken on a powerful new role off-screen. The 27-year-old actress has teamed up with the nonprofit organization SOSA (Safe from Online Sex Abuse) to help combat the ever-growing problem of online predators targeting young children. Ariel Winter has participated in an undercover sting operation for SOSA's true crime docuseries, "SOSA Undercover," where she played the role of a 12-year-old girl to catch predators attempting to exploit minors online. Winter's involvement in the operation is deeply personal. Reflecting on her own experiences in the entertainment industry with Daily Mail, she shared, 'It's definitely cathartic to be teaming with SOSA, knowing that I can make a difference." The actress continued, explaining that although pretending to be a 12-year-old and interacting with older men can be intimidating, the work is invaluable. "It's validating to put away predators that have been harming children." SOSA, a nonprofit dedicated to protecting minors from online sexual exploitation, partners directly with law enforcement to conduct undercover operations aimed at identifying and arresting child predators. According to Winter, the need for such operations is dire. 'Growing up in the entertainment industry, I've been the girl we are trying to save," she said. "It's vital to me to help protect young women from the experiences I endured in my own life." The dangers of online predators have never been more prevalent, as platforms like social media, gaming apps, and photo-sharing sites make children and teens more vulnerable than ever. Winter explained the difficulty of finding these predators, noting how they often use false identities and carefully conceal their true intentions. 'Finding someone is hard because they don't use their real name or handle, and we have to do research into who these people are," she explained. 'I was surprised by the volume of men out there looking to talk to young girls. It's hundreds of thousands of men.' One of the most shocking realizations for Winter was the normalcy of the predators' appearances. 'These men don't look like predators. They look like the guy next door. They're usually married with children and have pets. They seem nice because they talk about their everyday life, but they're trying to meet with a 12-year-old girl,' Winter shared. She recalled one instance where a man in his 40s tried to take an 11-year-old girl shopping for a new bra. 'That's not normal. It's not good.' The emotional toll of Winter's involvement in these operations has been substantial. 'This whole experience has been heartbreaking because I think of how young these girls are and they're being approached by much older men,' she said before expressing concern for young girls who are often lonely and turn to the internet for companionship, only to fall prey to predators. 'Kids look for online relationships because they're lonely or bored and then they find a male and think that they can connect to them, not realizing they are so much older and are actually predators with bad intentions,' Winter said. Winter's journey into this work is deeply rooted in her own experiences. Having entered the entertainment industry at a young age, she recalled receiving inappropriate messages from older men as early as when she was on a laptop or cell phone. 'The movie and TV industry is a dark place,' Winter said, noting how the trauma she experienced led her to seek therapy. Her partnership with SOSA is a part of her ongoing commitment to helping prevent such abuse. 'I like working with SOSA because it's women helping women,' she said, emphasizing her dedication to continuing this work for as long as she can. Roo Powell, founder of SOSA, praised Winter's efforts, acknowledging that her support is vital for the nonprofit. 'Ariel is boosting our platform, and it means so much to us because we have only five full-time employees and a smaller budget than most libraries. Ariel is getting the word out about SOSA. She has been amazing,' Powell said. 'She will do anything to help us. She helps take out the trash and eats cold cheeseburgers with us.' SOSA's work is critical in protecting children from online predators, and their methods are both highly strategic and realistic. The nonprofit stages undercover operations using decoy houses, where minor personas engage with predators on video calls. These operations are designed to build trust with the predators and provide law enforcement with the critical evidence needed to make arrests. With over 1 million followers on Instagram and TikTok, SOSA has built a thriving online community that not only raises awareness but also provides resources and safety tips to help protect children from online threats. Winter's involvement is helping bring more attention to this important cause, as she uses her platform to spread the word about SOSA's mission to protect children from online sexual exploitation. As she continues her work with SOSA, Ariel Winter is not only shedding light on the prevalence of online predators but also using her voice and experience to protect the next generation from the horrors that she herself faced in her youth.
Time of India
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Ariel Winter's self-esteem was 'damaged' after she was body-shamed as teen actress
The Roses - Official Trailer Actress Ariel Winter , who played Alex Dunphy in " Modern Family ", has talked about the downsides of fame during her time on the iconic a conversation with Winter said that while playing Alex Dunphy on 11 seasons of the 22-time Emmy-winner, the media brutally critiqued her physical appearance. In the early seasons of the show, Winter was only 14 years old, which made the negative attention all the more difficult to deal with, reports 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. It totally damaged my self-esteem ," Winter added: "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.'"After "Modern Family" came to an end in 2020, Winter said that she and her boyfriend left Los Angeles , but maintains that she "didn't leave the industry."Outside of acting, Winter works with the advocacy group SOSA (Safe From Online Sex Abuse), which helps protect young people from predators online."Technically, yes, I'm a survivor. I've gone through some...," Winter said."But a lot of people have gone through some shit. 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."Modern Family aired for 11 seasons from 2009 to 2020. The series follows the lives of three diverse but interrelated family set-ups living in suburban Los Family employs an ensemble cast and is presented in a mockumentary style, with the characters frequently speaking directly to the camera in confessional interview series won a total of 22 Emmy Awards, including five Emmy Awards for Outstanding Comedy Series, four Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series and two Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. It also won the Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series - Musical or Comedy in 2011.
