There are obviously a lot of great things about being famous and successful, but being constantly body shamed isn’t one of them. For years, Ariel Winter has been the target of relentless scrutiny based on her body, even when she was still a teenager. Despite the hate she gets, she’s been public about her choice to have a breast reduction, and has always come across confident on social media. Over the last several months, Ariel has lost a lot of weight, but people have recently started to really take notice. This is mainly because, a couple weeks ago, Ariel dyed her hair red, which basically makes her Bella Thorne’s celebrity doppelgänger. These photos have gone pretty viral, leading to increased scrutiny about her body as well. Ugh.
In the same way people used to criticize her curves, suddenly she was being shamed for being “too thin,” and being accused of suffering from an eating disorder. It’s almost like women can’t win, no matter what we do!! Look, Ariel Winter doesn’t owe anyone an explanation for her body, but she responded to the questions about her weight loss anyway in an incredibly thoughtful way.
Last month, Ariel posted a Q&A to her Instagram story, and one of the responses she shared was “Why so thin?”
Her answer is obviously lengthy, so I’ve broken it down below in a way that’s easier to read.
“For years I had been on anti depressants that caused me to gain weight that I couldn’t lose no matter what I did. It was always frustrating for me because I wanted to be able to get fit and feel like the work I was doing was paying off, but it never felt that way. I had accepted it and moved on. I stayed on those medications for so long because the process is really long and difficult. I wasn’t ready to go through it again so I just accepted feeling eh instead of trying to find something to actually feel better.”
What Ariel Winter is describing here is all too common. Certain medications (especially antidepressants) are notorious for making people gain weight, wreaking havoc on your hormones and metabolism. While these medications can be super helpful for what they’re prescribed for, there’s no question that these side effects are, at best, frustrating, and can even cause serious problems for patients. Ariel continued with her story:
“Last year I decided I was sick of feeling eh (had nothing to do with weight), so I started the process again and was able to find a great combination of medication that works for me. The change in medication instantly made me drop all of the weight I couldn’t lose before by just giving me back my metabolism. That was very unexpected. While I feel better mentally with the change, and it’s nice to work out and have your body actually respond, but I want to gain a few pounds of muscle and get healthier.”
I applaud Ariel Winter for being open with her struggle, and acknowledging that she didn’t have the energy to go through finding a new medication right away. Sometimes the side effects are worth it for the positive impacts of a medication, but luckily she was able to find something else that worked better for her. While Ariel Winter has definitely had some drama in the past, it seems like she’s approaching this topic from a positive, level-headed perspective.
In her journey with depression, Ariel Winter is far from alone. A few months ago, Ariel’s Modern Family costar Sarah Hyland also opened up about her experience with depression, saying that she struggled with mental health alongside her battle with kidney dysplasia. She had to undergo 16 surgeries in less than two years, and it took a toll on her mentally. Hyland encouraged those struggling with depression and suicidal thoughts: “It’s not shameful. For anybody that wants to reach out to somebody but doesn’t really know how because they’re too proud or they think that they’ll be looked upon as weak, it’s not a shameful thing to say.”
Of course, Ariel did have one last wish through all of these medication struggles:
“Also want my butt back…”
She’s only human!
Images: Shutterstock; @arielwinter (2), @sarahhyland / Instagram
After a few days of intense deliberation (with myself), I have something important to say. I think Ariel Winter might be getting her shit together. There, it’s out in the open now. Our favorite child TV star-turned-Instagram thirst trap (tied with Bella Thorne) is growing up right before our eyes, and dare I say, she doesn’t seem like a total disaster? In the past, there’s been plenty to talk shit about, from her X-rated outfits to her questionable relationship choices to just like, her life as a person. But now, things might be turning around for her. I know you’re probably mad at me right now but please, give me a chance to explain.
First of all, we have to deal with Ariel Winter’s age-inappropriate boyfriend. Just a refresher, he’s Levi Meaden, an actor who was recently in Pacific Rim Uprising (I know, what?), and they’ve been together for about a year and a half. At first, we were all pretty skeptical of their 10-year age difference, because it’s fucking weird for a 28-year-old dude to date an 18-year-old. Like, it’s one thing for the girl who got legally emancipated at age 13 to make some iffy decisions, but what’s his deal?? But as much as the age dynamic makes my skin crawl, they’re like, kind of a cute couple? He looks young, and she dresses like she’s 25, so I guess it’s not that much of a stretch? I mean, Selena Gomez and The Weeknd only lasted 10 months, and I never gave them any shit. I hate myself so much right now. Levi and Ariel have been living together for like a year, which is honestly low-key impressive. Considering I still hate spending the night with anyone unless there’s brunch involved the next day, I guess I’m not in a place to judge. Just kidding, I spend my entire life judging others.
Okay, so Ariel’s love life isn’t a total disaster, I’ll give her that. Let’s discuss her school situation, because it’s a little murkier. Way back in 2016, Ariel got accepted to UCLA, and she was very excited. She decided to defer her enrollment a year, because reasons. She started school back in the fall, but she announced last month that she was taking a break. Now, it’s truly a choice to leave college after just six months. Ariel, wyd? She says she wants to focus on her acting career and have more free time, and like same. I would have loved to drop out of college after one semester, except the only career I had at that point was working at the front desk of the theatre department. I am Ariel, Ariel is me. As questionable as dropping out is, she’s already in an Emmy-winning show, so going to college kind of seems like going back to eat a meal after you already had dessert. Ugh, now I’m hungry.
This brings me to the most important part: Ariel’s outfits *shudders*. Ariel Winter has made some very, um, intense fashion choices over the past few years, and we’ve roasted her many a time. Never forget the time she wore a fucking Vegas showgirl outfit to the Modern Family premiere, when everyone else was literally wearing jeans. I’m still suffering from secondhand embarrassment, but I think Ariel truly loved the attention. Last year at Coachella, the paper shredder casualty she called a T-shirt just made me sad, but it seems like she’s made some stylistic adjustments as of late. Look at me, acting like she’s a fucking art museum curator.
In her recent Instagrams, Ariel has been going for more of a sultry glam vibe, and I will begrudgingly admit that it’s really working for her. As Miley Cyrus once said (shortly before her own wild phase), it’s the climb. As much as I miss the latex bodycon dresses (mostly, the material they gave me for shit-talking in my group chat), it’s refreshing to see her in pretty outfits that can be sexy without needing NSFW warnings. Finally, I don’t feel like I have to take a shower after scrolling through her Instagram, and for that I am grateful. Did I just say I’m grateful for Ariel Winter? No, no I didn’t, stop twisting my words.
The wavy hair and red lip is a seriously good look for her, and I’m exited to see how her style journey evolves next. Oh my god, I just read that back and immediately felt the need to take several shots of vodka. Someone send me a new Instagram thot to shit on ASAP, I can’t handle this. I’m not saying I’m like, obsessed with Ariel Winter or anything, but our favorite physical manifestation of daddy issues has come a long way, and it’s messing with my mind.
Modern Family is ending next year, but maybe Ariel isn’t destined to be forgotten in the graveyard of child stars that went wild? Maybe she’ll go back to UCLA and be a communications major or something boring, but maybe she’ll actually become a real actress that gets cast in things? Is “Academy Award Winner Ariel Winter” something that we’ll have to say in the future? Just shoot me now, this is the end. I don’t want to say I’m rooting for her, but I might be rooting for her. That is, until she shows up next week wearing like, a paper towel as a dress or some shit. This is a confusing time, and I’d appreciate your support while I’m on this soul-searching journey.
Images: arielwinter / Instagram (4)
This year has been one hell of a year for celebrity relationships. I’ve laughed, I’ve cried, and I’ve wanted to call my ex boyfriend and give our toxic relationship another shot (thank you for that one, Selena Gomez). And even though there have been some massive celeb breakups this year—I’m still justifying to HR the three days I took off of work to mourn Anna Faris and Chris Pratt’s relationship because I JUST NEEDED SOME ME TIME, OKAY—there still weren’t enough breakups, in my opinion. So, because I am way too personally invested in the lives of complete strangers, here are all the celebrities we wish would break up in 2018.
1. Scott Disick & Sofia Richie
As if you didn’t see this one coming a mile away. We’ve already established that while Scott Disick is thoroughly enjoying his premature mid-life crisis relationship with his new girlfriend, Sofia Richie, she looks fucking miserable to be with him. There’s a lot of reasons we want these two to break up. For one, she’s a literal child and is closer in age to Scott’s son than Scott, her actual boyfriend. For another, I think her presence is the reason why he thinks he can get away with wearing a shirt that’s unbuttoned to his naval. It’s truly alarming and must be stopped.
2. Vanessa Hudgens & Austin Butler
So this is more for me than anything else, but when is it not all about me, amiright? Anyway, as you may have noticed, 2017 was the year of our favorite celeb couples from our childhood reuniting. First with Liam and Miley and then with Selena and Justin—it’s like we’re in 2009 all over again, minus the chunky belts and side-swept bangs. And now it’s Vanessa Hudgens’s turn to step the fuck up and get back together with her ex Zac Efron. It’s really the least she could do for me. Look, I have nothing against Austin Butler. They seem genuinely happy together, and it’s not his fault that after his short-lived time as a teen heartthrob on Zoey 101, his only other acting gig was “kind of celeb at Coachella.” But if Vanessa Hudgens and Zac Efron get back together, then I’ll have the whole matching set of teen dream couples, and I really feel like I deserve that for the new year, ya know?
3. Sarah Hyland & Wells Adams
These two have been making me feel like an active participant in their relationship since the second they got together, and I fucking hate it. And I do mean the exact second, because Sarah Hyland doesn’t let one damn moment go by without recording it on her Instagram story. I have a lot of problems with this relationship. For one, watching her Instagram story is more uncomfortable than reading my old MySpace posts. For two, Sarah clearly needs a lesson in celebrity hierarchy, because girls with asses like hers should not be dating guys with faces like Wells. Hear me out now: She’s on a sitcom that is consistently rated as one of the best on TV, and he… took over for Jorge the bartender on Bachelor in Paradise. So, yeah, one thing is clearly not like the other here. Whatever. I guess she seems happy, but if I wanted to see genuine happiness on Instagram, I wouldn’t be following you. Break up or expect to have one less follower from your 5.5 million fan base.
4. Ariel Winter & Levi Meaden
Would this be a complete public shaming list without mentioning my girl, Ariel Winter? I think not. Ariel has been dating her boyfriend Levi Meaden for a little over a year. That is, if you call posting semi-pornographic photos of the two of them dry-humping in various spots all over LA dating. And if you’re wondering who Levi Meaden even is, then I can’t help you, because after a deep stalking of his Instagram account brief Google search, all I got on him is that he is a Canadian actor whose biggest claim to fame is a role in a movie called Bigfoot Island. I’m sure he’s on the short list for an Oscar for that one. While the two of them do seem happy together—in fact, it was reported that he even asked her dad for permission to marry her just yesterday—I’m skeptical AF. First of all, there’s the age difference. He’s 11 years older than her, and the physical embodiment of her unresolved daddy issues. Tbh, for as much shit as I give Ariel, I just think she can do better than some old dude who probably used his own personal experience as research for his starring role in the Lifetime original movie Revenge Porn. Just saying.
5. Arie & His Blonde
Okay, so I know *technically* the next season of The Bachelor hasn’t even aired yet, and we don’t actually have any definitive proof of who Arie is going to pick, but, like, we do know that his type is underage sorority girls hot blondes, so he’s 100 fucking percent going to choose a blonde. Honestly, it doesn’t even matter who he chooses because as soon as they get engaged, I will actively be rooting for their demise. I may have wanted good things for Arie at one point in time, but that time was before I could legally drink and when I was still choosing boyfriends off of which frat they were in. So, yeah, that time is long gone. GOOD LUCK, ARIE.
6. Beyoncé & Jay-Z
Is this sacrilege to bring up? Will I be smote down by a horde of screaming women aggressively singing “Crazy in Love” the powers that be for even suggesting this? Eh, whatever. I can’t bring myself to care. Obviously, we all know that Beyoncé is a fucking goddess, and she’s had the year of her life, if her Instagram is any indication. That said, we also all know that Jay-Z cheated on her with Becky With The Good Hair. Okay, I’m gonna say that one more time for the people in the back: THE MAN CHEATED ON BEYONCE. If Beyoncé—a woman who I’m convinced can procreate with nothing but sheer force of will and the power of the sun—is having issues with her man, then there’s no fucking hope for the rest of us. No, Beyoncé needs to dump his ass, because she doesn’t need that shit and neither do I. We’re both strong, independent women who don’t need no man because we have our own millions to support ourselves. Well, at least those first two were true.
Father’s Day is just around the corner aka the holiday you only remembered because your mom sent you a text saying “IT’S FATHER’S DAY, CALL YOUR DAD.” Thanks, mom, you da real MVP. We all love our dads because who else would pay our cell phone bills and help us move heavy furniture and patiently listen to us lose our shit because the Wifi is spotty in our apartments and, no, they can’t do anything to fix that. But sometimes fathers fuck up and their children turn into Ariel Winter public cries for help. And why celebrate the success stories when we can delight in other people’s failures? So here are 6 people who have way bigger daddy issues than you (because taking away the “emergency” credit card is not a real issue).
1. Ariel Winter
Speaking of public cries for help, let’s start with my favorite one, shall we? Idk what it is but there’s just something about Ariel that makes me think she might have issues with the man that clearly did a terrible job raising her. She was emancipated from her parents in her teen years, so you know her childhood had to have been a shit show if she actually went through with the legal process and didn’t just threaten to every time her dad refused to extend her data package for the month. But it’s so weird because she just doesn’t seem like a girl with daddy issues. Normally those types of girls are such attention whores always seeking validation through semi-nude selfies…
And her relationship with that replacement father figure C-list actor guy who lets her live in his house Levi Meaden is just, like, the healthiest and not at all a cry for attention…
And she’s just so normal and real on Instagram…
Lol kidding! It’s blatantly obvious that this girl is screaming for parental guidance. Seriously, the other day she got a block of cheese tattooed on her wrist to match her boyfriend’s (of less than a year) jar of peanut butter. YOU’RE NOT EVEN MAKING SENSE, ARIEL. Honestly, if that doesn’t scream “daddy why don’t you love me” then idk what does. Seriously, you’re not fooling anyone, Ariel.
2. Ivanka Trump
Has anyone else noticed that when Ivanka is in her father’s presence she constantly looks like she’s internally screaming? Or is that just me the look of complacency? Idk. Either way I really don’t have to say much here. I mean, I can only imagine the trauma of having a human Cheeto for a parent who is constantly trying to take away your birth control and is insistent on deporting your friend’s very hot foreign boyfriend. Ugh, like, dad STOP IT. You’re embarrassing me!
3. Ireland Baldwin
Ireland Baldwin, model and daughter of Alec Baldwin, has perhaps the best daddy issues story of all time. We know and love Alec Baldwin for how he accurately portrays roasts Donald J. Cheeto on SNL every week, but aside from being a comedic genius Alec is also a terrible parent. I guess we can’t have it all. But he has blessed us with one of the greatest, most quotable voicemails of all time. When Ireland was in fifth grade her dad left her this voicemail: “You are a rude, thoughtless little pig. You don’t have the brains or the decency as a human being.” A. Rude. Thoughtless. Little. Pig. *slow claps* Honestly, he gets all the points for creative language because that was savage AF. Seriously, I’m writing this one down for the next time I babysit. But I guess if you’re going to verbally abuse your child, you might as well make it something your kid—and America—will never forget, right Alec?
Just for the record, Ireland says this is “normal” behavior for her dad when he’s “frustrated.” In other news, Ireland just returned from a stint in rehab. I’m sure that’s unrelated though.
4. Jessica Simpson
Though she’s better at hiding her daddy issues than others *cough* Ariel Winter *cough* Jessica Simpson certainly has some. Does anyone else remember the one time her dad told GQ, “Jessica never tries to be sexy. She just is sexy. If you put her in a T-shirt or you put her in a bustier, she’s sexy in both. She’s got DOUBLE Ds! You can’t cover those suckers up”? *shudders* Jessica tried to play it off like this was fake news, but I’m not buying it. I mean, the guy has chunky blond highlights IN 2017, which is evidence enough that he’s a giant creep and 100% has inappropriate thoughts about his daughter.
Jessica Simpson:
Her Dad:
Me:
5. Penelope Disick
I’m not one to shit on kids—I do have some morals—but like, P is bound to have some daddy issues when she grows up. Kourtney can only do so much in terms of distracting her daughter with lavish family vacations and birthday parties that feature live fucking mermaids as the entertainment before she’s going to realize that daddy is suspiciously missing from all of these events. Sorry P, Scott’s not “away on business”; he’s just getting shit-faced in Cannes with girls that could be your older sisters.
Yeah, being fucking adorable isn’t going to save your childhood from this, P. And in that same vein…
6. Every Single One Of The Kardashians
I’ve seen every episode of this show because I really need to get better hobbies Keep Up, and while some would argue that Kris Jenner is clearly to blame for fucking these girls up I would argue that their dads DEFINITELY had a helping hand in this as well. One scroll through their Instagram feeds is really all the proof I need. Look, I’m not saying that semi-nude selfies are a definite cry for help, but I’m also not not saying that. For further proof, I’m just going to leave this here:
Yeah, they totally got enough love and attention as children. Totally.
Oh, sweet Ariel Winter. So much to learn, so little desire to change. In the past, the Modern Family star’s fashion choices have drawn a lot of, um, feedback based on their skimpy nature, and that’s not great. But Ariel is creating controversy on Instagram again, and this time it’s fair to criticize Ariel without sounding like a slut-shamer.
In the photos, Ariel’s got her knees in the sand and is pulling on her swimsuit bottom like it’s giving her a rash. She’s also got some fake eyelashes on that look like they’re considering a suicide mission to jump off her face (I would do the same tho). In the photo, Ariel is going for some serious Playmate of the Year vibes, which would have been fine, except that she captioned the post “Happy #MemorialDay.”
Let’s unpack. If you’re not from the U.S. or you fell asleep in history class or something, Memorial Day is a holiday meant to honor soldiers who have died defending their country. It’s not actually supposed to be about beer and bikinis, no matter how tempting that extra Monday off may be. In other words:
So yeah, people aren’t thrilled with Ariel for posting a Memorial Day caption that has nothing to do with veterans, or America, or really anything but being a thirst trap. We’re very much in favor of getting wasted at the pool on Memorial Day, but don’t go on Instagram and pretend you actually give a shit about the troops. Or, like, at least hold a little American flag while you’re posing in your swimsuit.
It’s probably best to save the bikini photos for the 4th of July when no one died; a bunch of old dudes just signed some piece of paper. Also, never pose with your knees in the sand, it makes it look like you’re about to go down on a merman.
Ariel Winter, the poor man’s Kylie Jenner, attended the Modern Family season 8 finale screening on Wednesday night wearing… well, we’re not entirely sure. She donned what appears to be your freshman year Cleopatra costume, only she got way too scissor-happy. Like, cold shoulders, a giant boob cutout, and you can tell the seamstress accidentally shortened the skirt a little too much? There is way too much going on here. You need to pick one slutty element—everyone knows you don’t go full thot.
She accessorized this look with some shiny gold shoes that look like they came from the sale rack of Charlotte Russe, and her signature aura of desperation. I say that because she took a group photo with the rest of the Modern Family cast, and it’s… well, I’ll let you draw your own conclusions.
Like, did someone just photoshop Ariel in there? I checked multiple images on Getty, and no. This is real. Did Ariel not get the memo that this was a casual event, or is she just that shameless? Doesn’t she feel at all weird standing basically naked next to a 9-year-old in a church dress and her work parents? Even Lily is like “WTF is this extra bitch wearing?” Seriously, just look at this shade:
Same, Lily. Same. Even Sofia Vergara kept it pretty low-key in a dress that looks like something your mom might wear to a summer wedding.
My personal theory about Ariel Winter is that she’s so scarred by playing a “nerdy” character on TV that she feels the need to constantly remind the world that she can do sexy. And like, girl, WE KNOW. We are aware that just because you play a mousy bookworm doesn’t mean you are one in real life. We all understand the definition of acting. So please, do less—in general, not with your wardrobe.
