After years of dealing with the internet having some not-so-nice things to say about her body, 19-year-old Modern Family star Ariel Winter wants to let all the haters know this: she doesn’t care what people think.
While trolls will continue trying to criticize her body, she’s sending a powerful message to her fans and naysayers alike. In an interview with Refinery29, Ariel says she’s no longer trying to change herself for others.
“I went through a lot of hate online, so I tried to change myself for a really long time,” she says. “But people just kept hating on me no matter what I did. I decided that instead of pleasing these other people, I’ll just spend that time pleasing myself. Those people are going to be rude to me regardless of what I do, so I should just try and be happy with what I am.”
According to the interview, the body confident actress has had her fair share of self-esteem struggles. It hasn’t always been easy for her to accept herself, especially when a majority of her life is spent in the public eye.
She says about her body image issues, “It’s hard to be positive about your body all the time. I know because I’m honest about my insecurities that people think I’m 100 percent positive about my body all the time, but I’m not. I get really uncomfortable, too. But I just remind myself that this is the body I was given. This is who I am.”
The actress uses her public platform to inspire men and women everywhere to be confident in their skin. As someone who lives with their own insecurities, Ariel says it’s crucial for people to empower and strengthen each other, rather than criticize something they don’t like.
“Our leadership is really anti-women right now,” she says. “We’re being objectified and made to feel bad about ourselves, so I think it’s really important for women to stick together and do the opposite of that; to let their bodies be seen and be heard, and to empower each other; to remind each other that what they look like is not the only thing that’s important when it comes to who they are.”
As beach season approaches, Ariel’s words couldn’t have come at a better time. Remember, ladies: Your body is already bikini ready.