In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Ariel Winter talked about the abuse her mother put her through while she was Growing up. Winter, who emancipated herself when she was 15 years old, says she hasn't spoken to her mother, Crystal Workman, in the past five years.
Growing up
The 19-year-old actress explained the hard time she experienced while growing up in an abusive home. "I went through a really bad chapter," she shared.
Winter commented that she was sexualized from a young age, with her mother dressing her up in short and revealing outfits.
Many people thought she was much older than she was, "People thought I was 24 when I was 12", she said. Ariel started acting when she was only four years old, a profession picked by her mother. She explains that after she began her career food became "very, very restricted" in her household because her mom didn't want her to gain weight and ruin her chances at acting.
Another thing prohibited by Workman was being friends with other young women, Ariel explains that they were seen as competition, so she wasn't allowed to get close to them. She also received a lot of pressure from her mother to get jobs. Winter was so closely watched that she felt she wasn't allowed to fail.
Regarding her education, the actress had a few tutors growing up, but in her house getting a good education was not a priority, so it was set aside while she was forced to focus on working.
Meanwhile, her father, who was still married to Workman, was mostly absent from the picture, leaving Ariel to deal with things on her own.
Healing and getting a fresh start
Winter was cast as Alex Dunphy in Modern Family when she was 11 years old, and three years later she was put in the custody of her older sister, Shanelle Gray.
But it took some time before she was able to get to that place.
Ariel's on-set teacher, Sharon Sacks, supported her how she could. Sacks says she used to order extra lunches on set to share with the actress. When Winter was ready, Sacks and others helped her get out of the tough situation she was in. Her teacher was the one who reported the case to Child Protective Services.
Thankfully, Winter was able to move with her sister Shanelle for some time. And when she turned 15 years old she was able to get emancipated.
After the move, things started to change for Ariel, who started going to therapy and is now being treated for depression. "Even though I wish I had a better childhood, I wouldn't trade it, because it made me who I am today," she explains.
The actress is starting classes soon at UCLA, where she says she hopes to gain knowledge in another field. At the moment she's interested in subjects like law, social justice, and politics. She wants to start a charity in the future to help others who have gone through abuse, as well as veterans, and people with mental illness. At the moment she's living with her dogs and her boyfriend in Los Angeles. You can find her on social media talking about body positivity and trying to make a change with her platform.
