Every artist enters Tinseltown with a head full of dreams and in hopes that they land on the right side of history. But even years of creative recognition are not enough to get over the nightmare Hollywood can be. The Modern Family actress Ariel Winter is the latest one to remind us that. Winter stepped into the City of Stars when she was just a kid. However, age and stardom neither immunized her to the online bullying and body shaming she had to face.

Years after the Modern Family finale, Winter recently weighed in on the challenges that accompanied her showbiz fame.

Modern Family’s Ariel Winter reveals being a victim of body criticism

In a recent conversation with PEOPLE, Modern Family actress Ariel Winter shed light on the intense appearance policing she confronted in Tinseltown. From tabloid trolls to online ostracization, she has seen it all. “It was just everywhere,” she said. She recalled grown-ups writing headlines that either fat-shamed or called her pregnant when she was just 14. “It totally damaged my self-esteem,” Winter continued.

Winter added that it did not matter what she went through because she was always a “target,” which made it difficult to love herself. While what could have significantly altered her life was family support, she unfortunately had a difficult childhood and a tumultuous relationship with her mother, Chrisoula Workman. When she was 14, the Department of Child and Family Protective Services placed her in the care of her elder sister, Shanelle Gray.

While it was undeniably a turning point in Ariel Winter’s life, she believes her biggest source of trauma was her entire childhood.

Modern Family actress Ariel Winter on childhood trauma

During her recent chat with PEOPLE, the sitcom actress Ariel Winter sighed a breath of relief, talking about being under her older sister, Shanelle Gray’s custody. “I went on to have a great rest of my teenage years thanks to being under her custody,” she said. When, three years later, Winter was legally declared an adult, she reportedly cut all connections with her mother, Chrisoula Workman. 

Winter did not enjoy divulging much of her childhood, calling it her biggest trauma. Though she underwent therapy, which allowed her a more clarified perspective of her upbringing, following the Modern Family wrap, she moved out of LA with her boyfriend Luke Benward. Winter insists the relocation was not about leaving the industry but about the place that holds some “not-great” memories. While she is not the only one who fell victim to Hollywood’s unfavorable scrutiny, she adds to a growing list of celebrities who found forks disguised in fame.

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