Ariel Winter’s life in LA is behind her.
The 27-year-old “Modern Family” alum revealed in a brand new Folks cowl story printed Wednesday that her determination to maneuver away from Los Angeles along with her boyfriend, Luke Benward, in 2020 stemmed from coping with on-line bullying.
“It was just everywhere,” she mentioned. “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 famous. “It totally damaged my self-esteem.”
Winter, who was 11 when she was forged as Alex Dunphy within the award-winning ABC comedy, defined that she “understood what it was like to be hated” as she handled on-line trolls.
“No matter what I was going through, I was a target,” she shared. “It made it very difficult to look at myself in the mirror and go, ‘I love this version of me.’”
Throughout Winter’s time within the highlight, she accused her mom, Chrisoula Workman, of abuse. Workman, whom Winter now not speaks to, has denied all of the allegations.
Talking about her largest supply of trauma, Winter informed Folks, “It’s just my entire childhood. It’s a really deep, painful, sore, sore part for me that’s so much deeper and bigger than I’ve ever felt ready to talk about.”
At age 14, Winter was faraway from her house from the Division of Little one and Household Protecting Providers and positioned within the care of her older sister, Shanelle Grey, who grew to become her authorized guardian.
“I went on to have a great rest of my teenage years thanks to being under her custody,” mentioned Winter, who was later legally emancipated and declared an grownup.
She talked in regards to the emancipation on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” in 2016.
“Nobody controls you anymore,” the then-18-year-old mentioned. “You handle your own business affairs, your own living arrangements, your own money. Everything is sort of in your own hands.”
Winter added of her sister, “She’s been the best part of my life. She really is my best friend. She’s the most important thing to me. She’s been there for me through absolutely everything. And I just love her so much. I count on her more than anything.”
Within the Folks interview, the “ER” actress clarified that regardless of shifting from LA she “didn’t leave the industry.” She mentioned she’s nonetheless pursuing appearing whereas engaged on producing her personal initiatives, beginning a podcast and creating a cooking present.
“I just left the city of LA. It holds some not-great memories for me, and I’m young and never lived anywhere else, and thought, ‘Why not?” Winter defined.
“If you’re no longer on a network show that shoots there, you don’t really have to be there, and if I get a network show, I can easily go back,” she added.
Winter additionally spoke about her involvement with the group SOSA (Secure From On-line Intercourse Abuse), which protects youngsters from pedophiles.
“Technically, yes, I’m a survivor,” she said. “I’ve gone through some s–t. But a lot of people have gone through some s–t. 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.”
Winter added: “More than anything, I want my story to be that she uses her platform for good. My journey to figuring things out and healing is now through helping other people. That’s all I care about.”
