Modern Family’s Ariel Winter claims she’s ‘damaged’ from body shaming and ‘hate’ in rare chat after fleeing Hollywood

MODERN Family’s Ariel Winter has claimed that she’s ‘damaged’ from body shaming and ‘hate’ in a rare interview after feeling Hollywood. 

Ariel is best known for starring on the ABC sitcom Modern Family as Alex Dunphy.

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The fan favorite show premiered in 2009 and wrapped after 11 seasons in 2020.

Now, the 27-year-old star has discussed the impact that body shaming has had on her, while in the world of acting. 

She said: “It was just everywhere. 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. 

“It totally damaged my self-esteem.”

The actress, who spoke to PEOPLE as their cover star, called herself a “target,” and said she “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,’” Ariel continued. 

Ariel and her boyfriend Luke Benward, who is also an actor, decided to move out of LA after Modern Family wrapped. 

But she insists, “I didn’t leave the industry.” 

Now, Ariel enjoys a quieter life with Luke – except for perhaps the noise of their six dogs that they have. 

The couple also enjoy cooking and the actress admits to still having a love for acting, and even has plans for a podcast. 

She told the publication: “I just left the city of L.A. It holds some not-great memories for me, and I’m young and never lived anywhere else, and thought, ‘Why not?’ 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.”

Ariel can be found posting regularly to her 5.1million Instagram followers. 

The actress likes showing off her various different cooking accomplishments and trying them for her followers. 

And at Christmas just gone, Ariel and Luke shared an adorable photo in front of their tree, with their six dogs in the shot. 

While Ariel’s Instagram account is full of cute couple photos and gorgeous selfies, she has also been candid about the not-so-glamorous aspects of her life.

A few years back, Ariel shared that she sliced off the tip of her thumb and accidentally threw it away in the trash while attempting to cook a Greek dish.

While talking to Access Hollywood, Ariel explained: “I was trying to make Greek food, ’cause I’m Greek and so I was like, ‘All right, I’m gonna try all these new things. I wanna try and make this. I wanna try and make this dish I love.’

“Chopped four onions and it was great. I just got new knives too.”

After showing off her bandaged thumb, Ariel continued: “So I went to chop a peeled tomato and sliced the top part of my thumb off on a peeled tomato.

“I was so shocked that it was more like hyperventilating.

“I was like, ‘I should be crying but I can’t believe it, I can’t believe it.'”

Ariel realized that she “apparently sliced an artery” because of the amount of bleeding, so Luke decided to take her to hospital.

After sharing that Luke “brought the tip” of her finger to the hospital, Ariel then noted that she accidentally threw away a “good portion” of her thumb and “had to go get it.”

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