Ariel Winter, 24 got her big break while starring on ABC’s “Modern Family.” Ariel Winter joined the cast at age 11 and transformed from a shy 11-year-old to the star of the moment.
Over the years, she has featured in other popular TV series such as “Nip/Tuck And Bones,” “Sonny With A Chance,” and “Criminal Minds.” She also collaborated with actor and boyfriend Luke Benward to produce a movie, “Boys.” This short film was rumored to make the 2022 Oscar shortlist.
Although she has always been a popular face, her relationship with fame has been quite turbulent. Recently, she opened up about leaving Los Angeles because of the constant attention from the paparazzi.
Read on for more details.
‘I Want To Have My Privacy’
During her appearance on an episode of the Quitters podcast, hosted by her “Modern Family” co-star, Julie Bowen, Winter opened up about her desire for a private life that led her to leave the city of Los Angeles.
“Part of the reason I always hated L.A. is because I have been followed by paparazzi for a very long portion of my life,” Winter explained. “And I really, really dislike having my space invaded.”
She continued, “I don’t like pictures of me when I haven’t signed up for pictures of me. I don’t like feeling watched. I’ve always just wanted to live a very, very normal life, just have a normal existence.”
However, she realized she couldn’t have that in Los Angeles because she was being photographed wherever she went.
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Although she had always heard that paparazzi came along with being a star, she had never fully understood it.
“This sounds aggressive, but really f–k off,” she began. “Until you’ve experienced it, you don’t understand it … Just because you signed up to create something doesn’t mean you sign up to have your life invaded and taken away from you … You should be able to choose what you share.”
She continued, “There are people OK with sharing everything in their lives — and I respect that. But it should be a choice. I want you to see my work and my characters. That’s what a lot of people get in the industry for. Everyone deserves privacy and to share what they want to share about themselves. [People] think, Oh, you have money, just take that and accept it. No. I did myself a service by leaving L.A.”
She Didn’t Disclose Her New Place
Although she didn’t disclose the new city she moved to, the actress explained that she was tired of Los Angeles and just decided to move.
“People have always been like, ‘You don’t like L.A., why don’t you just move?’… and then I just randomly looked and decided why not,” she added.
She mentioned that she moved in with her boyfriend Benward, and they “sold our cars, got an Escalade to fit all the dogs for the drive, put my house on the market for sale, and sold it.”
“Everything normal that I would do, it’s not going to stay normal. It’s really just about the feeling of not being comfortable to do normal things,” she concluded.
She mentioned that her new home feels so different and has the semblance of something new as she gets to live some of the young adult life she hasn’t been able to live.
She also added that her new place had been attracting other celebrities, and she won’t be the only “industry person” in the new city.
She Was In Therapy For Over A Decade To Unpack Her Trauma
Winter disclosed that she was in therapy for over ten years in the same podcast. This helped her navigate her family trauma and relationship and helped her heal from all the fat-shaming comments she received at age 13.
She disclosed that these comments led her to dislike some things about herself initially, but she later realized that she couldn’t please everyone.
“Once I got to 18, I realized every time I changed, there was still something new that [people] hated about me. I was just like: ‘Alright, so they’re never going to be happy. It is what it is.’ As I got older, I kind of got out of giving a sh-t.”
Winter Will Return To Los Angeles For Work
The actress disclosed that she would return to Los Angeles only for work purposes. In fact, two months after she moved, she was to replace Demi Lovato in the NBC comedy series “Hungry.”
The movie, written and produced by Suzanne Martin, follows a group of friends who belong in a group and help each other navigate successes, love, and other perfect things.
Other cast members include Alex Brightman, Valerie Bertinelli, Ryan McPartlin, Gabriel Iglesias, and Ashley D. Kelly.
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