Modern Family alum Ariel Winter recently gave an interview offering an honest discussion about the hazards young actors face concerning predatory conduct within the entertainment industry. She shared her concerns with the Daily Mail as part of her promotion for SOSA (Safe from Online Sex Abuse) Undercover, a true crime docuseries available on YouTube. The show is co-hosted by a nonprofit organization focused on protecting minors from sex crimes and online harassment.
Winter, who began acting at age four, stated she is “familiar with male predators” due to her early entry into Hollywood. She explained that by the time she was using a laptop and cell phone, she was already receiving “inappropriate messages from older men,” which caused significant trauma.
Winter emphasized the profound impact these childhood experiences, both online and in person, had on her, necessitating therapy. She characterized the film and TV industry as “a dark place.”
This is not the first time Winter has spoken candidly about her childhood in the spotlight. She previously told People magazine that relentless scrutiny was a major part of her teenage years. She admitted the constant barrage of headlines from “grown people” criticizing her appearance—calling her “terrible or pregnant or like a fat s***”—severely damaged her self-esteem when she was just 14.
