Ariel Winter Shares Wise Words About Being A Child Star

Modern Family star Ariel Winter isn't even 18 yet, but she's already wiser than many adults. Winter will turn 18 on January 28, and she spoke with People about being a child star and growing up in the public eye. In the current issue of the magazine, Winter suggests that she had already been living like an adult, even though she technically wasn't one. "I've kind of been in adulthood for a little bit now," Winter told People. That's more than a small understatement, considering everything she's been through in the last few years. In 2014, Winter's sister, Shanelle Gray, took over her guardianship from her mother, Christoula Workman. Then, Winter became an emancipated minor last year, though she still lives with her sister's family. "I have a great support system now," Winter told People of Gray's family. "I love living with my sister... I've found a happy situation for me." Winter also told the magazine that as a child star, "people criticize you at an extremely young age." In the People interview, she recalled that the first time she had her hair dyed, she was only 7 years old. "I love what I do, but I don't know if it's a choice I would have made on my own," Winter told People. Her statements are raw and honest — and that's something we don't typically see from Hollywood stars of any age, let alone a 17-year-old.