Ariel Winter recalls harrowing experiences with Hollywood 'male predators'

Bang Showbiz on Jul 10, 2025

Published in Women

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Ariel Winter received "inappropriate messages from older men" when she was a child.

The 27-year-old star found fame through her role as Alex Dunphy on the sitcom Modern Family and has revealed how she had to deal with the unwanted attention of "male predators" from an early age.

Speaking to DailyMail.com, Ariel said: "I am familiar with male predators because I worked in Hollywood at a young age. I started at age four. 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, and it caused trauma."

She added: "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. The movie and TV industry is a dark place."

Ariel featured for the duration of Modern Family's 11-season run and admits that she found it difficult to come to terms with show ending in 2020.

She said earlier this year: "It was hard.

"We were like a real family. It was weird knowing it would just be over, and I wouldn't get to see everybody all the time anymore. It was like, wait, yeah, wait, we're not going to be together on Monday? So on the one hand, I didn't want it to end, but at the same time, I was ready to start something new as an adult."

Ariel was just 11 years of age when Modern Family began and she did not suspect that the programme would go on to become so popular.

She said: "I was 11 when it started. I don't think I had any idea of it was going to be successful or not. I was just like, 'Oh awesome, I got a job.'

"What I was so excited for was to get the chance to work with Al Bundy (Ed O'Neill, who portrayed her grandfather Jay Pritchett in the comedy).

"But once the show started, it was an immediate hit, and it was so exciting to have that opportunity. And being on the same show for so long? I feel like that doesn't really happen anymore."