‘Modern Family’: Ariel Winter, Nolan Gould talk growing up on show
Known for playing Alex and Luke Dunphy on ABC’s “Modern Family,” Ariel Winter and Nolan Gould talk growing up before the fans’ eyes over the decade.
USA TODAY
Former “Modern Family” child star Ariel Winter is recalling the predatory behavior she was subjected to as a child.
The actress, who starred on the ABC sitcom starting when she was 11 years old, told the Daily Mail in an interview promoting the true crime YouTube docuseries “SOSA Undercover” that she is “familiar with male predators,” having worked in Hollywood since she was 4.
“I don’t wanna say too much about it, but by the time I was on a laptop and cell phone, I was getting inappropriate messages from older men,” she told the outlet, adding she has sought mental health treatment due to the “trauma.”
“The experiences I had in person and online as a child have affected me so deeply that I’ve had to go to therapy for it,” she continued. “The movie and TV industry is a dark place.”
Between the predatory behavior and body-shaming she experienced as a teen, she would go on to be put on antidepressants in high school.
The medication made her gain weight, but “my mental health was my top priority,” she said. She left her hometown of Los Angeles for the same reason. “I went on a journey of self-healing,” Winter said.
In “SOSA Undercover,” Winter will be going undercover, acting as a child to catch predators. She called the experience “cathartic.”
“It can be scary at times pretending to be 12 and (talking) to older men, but it’s validating to put away predators that have been harming children,” she said. “Growing up in the entertainment industry, I’ve been the girl we are trying to save. It’s vital to me to help protect young women from the experiences I endured in my own life.”
SOSA, or Safe from Online Sex Abuse, is a Connecticut-based nonprofit aimed at preventing and intervening in online child sexual abuse and exploitation, and supporting victims and survivors.
The series “SOSA Undercover” will follow the nonprofit working with law enforcement on undercover operations.
If you or someone you know has experienced sexual violence, RAINN’s National Sexual Assault Hotline offers free, confidential, 24/7 support to survivors and their loved ones in English and Spanish at: 800.656.HOPE (4673) and Hotline.RAINN.org and en Español RAINN.org/es.