Ariel Winter is often criticised for her body, the way she dresses and social media presence and the young starlet finally cracked.
In a lengthy Instagram post, the 19-year-old addressed the constant scrutiny she endures from fans and paparazzi alike.
“I’m not trying to be pap’d everywhere I go, I am literally just LIVING, and unfortunately I can’t do that without paparazzi following me around every day,” she said. “I’m not trying to show you my ass in shorts when I go to the grocery store. I’m trying to live my life.”
The Modern Family star recently told The Hollywood Reporter of her abusive stage-mum, from whom she emancipated at 15, including the fact she had sexualised Winter as a child.
“People thought I was 24 when I was 12,” Winter said of her mother dressing her in “the smallest miniskirts, sailor suits, low-cut things, the shortest dresses you’ve ever seen.
“If there was going to be a nude scene when I was that age, my mother would have a thousand percent said yes.”
In her Instagram post, Winter hit back at trolls who brought up that interview and twisted it against her.
“I’d also like to address the tweets I get saying, ‘you accused your mother of sexualising you yet you’re a whore.’ I was a CHILD being dressed like I was 24. I was 8-13 years old. I wasn’t an ADULT as I am now.”
She added: “And just because I DECIDE to show my body occasionally doesn’t mean I’m unintelligent or that I’m talentless or that I have no self-respect. I have EXTREME respect for myself, I HAVE talent, and I AM intelligent.
“We need to move on from this stigma that women who comfortable with their bodies and their sexuality are just ‘dumb sluts’.”
After taking a gap year, the actress will be starting at UCLA in the coming weeks, majoring in political science.
