Modern Family star Ariel Winter started getting a lot of attention after she went through puberty — and it wasn’t the kind of attention she wanted.
With a size 32F bust, Winter was constantly called “slutty” or a “whore” by both the media and online haters — and she was only 14 years old! She was uncomfortable in her body and just felt bad about herself. She told Refinery29,
“I didn’t feel like myself, and everyone was so focused on my cleavage, so when I got the breast reduction it helped me feel so much better about my body. I used to have full-scale meltdowns in bathing suit shops because there was nothing I could find to wear. I always felt like crap about myself. It’s gotten a little better, but it’s still definitely hard.”
Ariel has since had breast-reduction surgery and has learned to love her body (ok, maybe not 100% of the time, but who does these days?).
Winter also pointed out a very pertinent double-standard that exists within women: that skinny women can look “cute” in the same outfit that makes a curvy girl look “slutty.” She explained,
“My best friend, she’s super tall and skinny and she’ll wear the same bathing suit as me, but people will automatically look at me and call me out as a slut or write headlines about ‘Ariel Winter’s cleavage.’ Meanwhile, they look at her like, ‘Oh she looks so cute!’ But I’ve learned to not care about that as much.”
It’s so true! And completely unfair, may we add.
Since being thrown into the spotlight, Winter has used the attention to raise awareness about body shaming and bullying. Despite constantly being judged for her outfits and Instagram posts (many complain she’s trying to imitate Kylie Jenner), she says she no longer cares what you think.
“I’m happy, and whatever people want to say, they can say.”
Go, Ariel!
