Former Modern Family star Ariel Winter has spoken out about the dark side of growing up in Hollywood. In a recent interview with the Daily Mail, the actress opened up about the inappropriate behavior she faced from adult men as a child.
Winter, now 26, began acting at the age of 4. She rose to fame playing Alex Dunphy on Modern Family, starting at age 11. While promoting the new YouTube docuseries SOSA Undercover, she shared that she had to deal with male predators from a young age.
“I don’t want to say too much,” she said, “but once I had a phone and a laptop, I started getting inappropriate messages from older men.” She also shared that these experiences caused long-term emotional harm.
“The things I experienced in person and online affected me deeply,” Winter continued. “I had to go to therapy for the trauma.”
She described the film and TV industry as a “dark place.” Along with the inappropriate behavior, Winter also faced heavy body shaming during her teen years. These struggles led her to take antidepressants while in high school.
The medication caused weight gain, but Winter said her mental health came first. She eventually moved out of Los Angeles to focus on healing. “I went on a journey of self-healing,” she said.
In SOSA Undercover, Winter plays a key role in exposing online predators. She goes undercover by posing as a child online to catch adults looking to harm minors. She called the experience “cathartic” and meaningful.
“Pretending to be 12 and talking to older men is scary,” she admitted. “But putting predators away is worth it.”
The docuseries is part of a project by SOSA, a nonprofit focused on stopping online sexual abuse. They work with law enforcement to protect children and support survivors.
Winter said her goal is to protect other young girls from what she went through. “I’ve been the girl we’re trying to save,” she said.
In lighter entertainment news, Ushna Shah charmed fans with her adorable dance moves alongside her nephews. Watch the heartwarming moment here.
