In her cover story for Seventeen's November issue, Ariel Winter clapped back at the persistent haters she faces on social media. The actress, who has often been bullied online about her body, says that she won't let anyone, especially online detractors, control her life.
But the Modern Family actress admits that staying strong isn't easy. "It's definitely hard being self-conscious and having the world be able to tell you how they feel about you," she told the magazine. "Before Twitter and Instagram, if you felt a certain way about a person you didn't know, you couldn't tell them. Now I wake up and I have tweets to me about how I'm a fat, ugly blah-blah."
Fortunately, Winter says her sister, Shanelle, has helped keep her chin up. "My sister helped me understand that people will say those things regardless of how you look," she said. "I tell myself every day, 'I look fabulous.'"
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This isn't the first time Winter has stood up to internet trolls. When she received flack for sharing revealing photos on Instagram this summer, Winter told Entertainment Tonight: "Everybody is so hyped up on the fact that I post photos where my butt's out. It's a butt. Everyone has a butt... I don't think it's crazy." And last month in an interview with Rogue magazine, Winter said she believes that she only receives such backlash because she's a woman.
Winter has a point: In the past couple of months alone, the likes of Demi Lovato, Chrissy Teigen, and Paris Jackson have all opened about the harmful effects of cyberbullying. While they shouldn't have to deal with this madness in the first place, it's inspiring to hear them speak out against online harassment to their massive followings.