Now 27, Winter is speaking out about why she left Los Angeles, the damage done during her teenage years in the spotlight, and how she’s using her platform to take on online child predators.
A Childhood in the Spotlight—and the Crosshairs
Winter's early years in Hollywood were marked by turmoil. At just 14, she left her mother's care due to allegations of abuse and went to live with her sister. By 17, she was legally emancipated. While she continued to work on Modern Family, she was growing up under a microscope—and often a hostile one.
In a recent interview with People, Winter shared how relentless scrutiny took a toll on her mental health. "It was just everywhere," she said. "It was every headline I read about myself. Grown people writing articles about me, saying how I look terrible or pregnant or like a fat slut. I mean, I was 14. It totally damaged my self-esteem."
Her experiences with online and media harassment taught her firsthand what it's like to be the target of widespread cruelty. "It made it very difficult to look at myself in the mirror and go, I love this version of me."
Leaving LA—and Finding Purpose
Now, Winter says she’s made a big life change by moving out of Los Angeles. “The city holds some not great memories for me,” she explained. “I’m young and I never lived anywhere else, and I thought, why not?”
Despite stepping away from the Hollywood scene, Winter hasn’t quit acting. She appeared in two indie films earlier this year and continues to pursue meaningful roles. But perhaps more significantly, she’s turned her attention to activism.
Catching Child Predators: A New Mission
Winter is now working with the nonprofit SOS Safe from Online Sex Abuse, an organization that combats online grooming and child exploitation. The group uses decoys to engage with potential predators and works directly with law enforcement to ensure arrests are made.
It’s a cause that clearly resonates with Winter, given her own experiences as a vulnerable young person in the public eye.
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