Ariel Winter talks about the backlash to *THAT* graduation dress

Let’s be real. Puberty is HARD. And, growing up under the scrutiny of the public eye makes it all the more difficult. Ariel Winter, who began her career on the hit sitcom Modern Family, discusses these hardships in an in depth interview with Refinery29’s, Cat Quinn.

Going from being flat chested and “waking up with a D cup,” Winter confessed that she was always concerned with how the public was going to react.

"As soon I went to my first or second Emmys, I was criticized; I was called fat; I was told I was dressing like a slut because I had larger breasts. It was harder for me to dress my body but still feel good in what I was wearing. The criticism was really harsh and really difficult."

Other outspoken critiques from social media and online outlets focused on the dress she chose for her graduation party. Ariel’s sideboob, not her accomplishments, were the focus of these stories.

"I know it's harder to get the media to change, but I think it's really important to talk more about women's issues than about our dresses."

https://www.instagram.com/p/BG3fZ_hkxde

Hateful comments aside, Ariel continues to see the positives in situations such as these.

"And then, at a certain point, I really pushed myself to change the way I was thinking. I decided to have a better relationship with myself. I stopped reading the comments, because I didn't need to. I posted the photos I wanted to post, and whatever people wanted to say about it is what they said about it. And that worked out really well for me.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BKMYK6vj8fI

While encouraging speaking out on body positivity issues, Winter took on the role as ambassador for Dove’s #SpeakBeautiful campaign.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKS8REyU9BY?feature=oembed

"This Dove body-positivity campaign is one of the most amazing campaigns I've seen. I know I wasn't alone in [experiencing] cyberbullying, but when you're going through it by yourself, it can be incredibly isolating. It's really nice to hear and understand other women's stories."

Although remaining body positive is hard at times (even Winters herself admits this), being comfortable in your own skin is one sure way to love yourself and help others find that avenue for themselves as well!