In a recent interview with Self Magazine, Ariel Winter spoke about growing up in the public eye and how she’s evolved into a body-confident person, despite many struggles. She posed for a topless, un-retouched photo and showed viewers that you truly can learn to love your body.
While acting on the hit show “Modern Family,” Winter received a lot of hate when people noticed her visibly curvy, pubescent body. “Everything was getting bigger,” she says. “I automatically got this hate and judgement online.” Between experiencing major changes in her body and being scrutinized by the public, Winter admits that “growing up in the spotlight was quite possibly the worst for my self-esteem.”
The body-shaming and hate she received on social media and from the public only fuelled her fire to become a more confident and courageous role model.
After choosing to undergo breast reduction surgery at 17 to help her back problems, Winter posed at the SAG Awards in a strapless dress that revealed her scars. After the awards show, she tweeted: “Guys there is a reason I didn’t make an effort to cover up my scars! They are a part of me and I’m not ashamed of them at all. :)”
Winter is sending a brave message to be proud of the body you have. Scars are just proof that she made it out strong.
In her spread with Self, Winter explains how it was tempting to conform to people’s expectations of what is flattering and appropriate to dress and look like. She has experienced continuous body-shaming and slut-shaming in real life and through social media because of her figure and clothing choices.
Winter told Self that her older sister, Shanelle Workman, as well as her co-star on “Modern Family,” Sofia Vergara, helped her tune out the negative voices and embrace her body as is.
Ariel Winter is certainly an advocate for the body positivity movement and a role model for young women. She chooses to show off her body despite expectations of how much skin a woman is “supposed” to show or what a “Hollywood body type” usually looks like. She speaks to the public about her struggles and leads by example. She wears her scars proudly and isn’t afraid of what people have to say about it. Winter is sending a bold message and we all need to be listening.