Ariel Winter on growing up in public: ‘Overnight, my body changed drastically’

THE Modern Family star went from a gawky teen to a curvaceous young woman almost overnight — and says it played havoc with her self-esteem.

Winter says spending her awkward teen years in the public eye was tough. Picture: Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty

MODERN Family star Ariel Winter has opened up about the pressures of growing up in the public eye in a new interview, admitting it played havoc on her self-esteem.

The curvaceous young actress, who turns 19 next week, started out as Alex Dunphy on the hit sitcom in 2009. While she’d been working as an actor for several years before that, it was her role in the show that made her a star — and brought a lot of attention to her changing body.

“Growing up in the spotlight was quite possibly the worst for my self-esteem,” Winter tells self.com in a revealing new interview.

Winter (in glasses) in a season one publicity shot for Modern Family. Picture: ABC/Bob D'amico

“I had a hard time finding confidence within myself. When I started [Modern Family], I had a completely different body than what happened overnight at 12 years old. I was stick thin, I had no chest, I had no butt — I had nothing. I was totally flat, and I was so sad about it. Then automatically, overnight, my body changed drastically. I was a D cup and had a bigger butt, and my waist was expanding. Everything was getting bigger. I automatically got this hate and judgment online.”

‘Everything was getting bigger’: Ariel Winter said her changing body was hard for her to adjust to. Picture: Charley Gallay/Getty Images for The Trevor Project

Winter says paparazzi attention grew, and she found herself being judged in the media and online by those who deemed her outfits “inappropriate”.

Her decision in June 2015 to undergo breast reduction surgery — something she made no secret of, even flaunting her scars on the SAG Awards red carpet after the procedure — went some way to helping Winter gain confidence in her new-found curves.

“I woke up, I felt great. I was sitting there ordering a bunch of new clothes for myself, because I was so excited about it,” she said.

“I recommend it for everybody — all women that have thought about it and have suffered from having really large breasts and have back problems and just don’t feel right in their own skin.”

Winter (at left) at the 2011 Emmys with co-stars Sarah Hyland and Julie Bowen.

Nowadays, with her legions of social media followers, daring red carpet appearances and outspoken interviews, the stunning starlet has emerged as a spokeswoman for body positivity. She credits her co-star Sofia Vergara with helping her feel comfortable in her skin.

“She could see that I was struggling a little bit with how to deal with my body, and was always trying to give me advice,” she tells Self.com.

Winter’s Modern Family mother Julie Bowen spoke glowingly to news.com.au about her young co-star last year, dubbing her a “curvy dynamo.”

Winter and her boyfriend were spotted holidaying in Sydney this week. Picture: Instagram

“She is so sure about who she is and her body and how she lives in this world. I was the opposite of her when I was 18, I was a boyish little no hips, no boobs. Very lacking in confidence. I wish I’d had somebody around like her who is so confident in saying ‘Hey, I don’t fit this perfect ideal, but I still think I’m pretty damn perfect,’” Bowen said.

“She’s this amazingly curvy dynamo … I have learned to get out of her way, because she knows what she’s doing and she’s very confident in herself. She has people telling her ‘You should wear this, you should wear that’. She just tells them: thanks for your opinion, and moves on.”

The actor says her Modern Family co-star Sofia Vergara helped her come to terms with her changing body. Picture: John Sciulli/Getty Images for Audi