Celeb goss 18th September 2017 by Grace McGettigan

‘Females Are Competition’: Ariel Winter Claims She Was “Sexualised” By Her Mother From An Early Age

"People thought I was 24 when I was 12."

Ariel Winter has never been particularly close to her mother, and was even legally emancipated from her two years ago after claiming she tried to sexualise her from a young age – something her mum vehemently denies.

The star’s older sister, Shanelle, became her legal guardian when Ariel was just 15, and she’s just opened up about her troubled past.

The actress, who plays Alex Dunphy in Modern Family, first started acting when she was four, not because she wanted to but because her mum made her. This led to conflict between the pair, with court documents reporting instances of “slapping, hitting, and pushing,” as well as emotional abuse.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BZIX-ZQhXLs/?hl=en&taken-by=arielwinter

In a new interview with Hollywood Reporter, Ariel admitted she wasn’t allowed to make friends with other girls, “because females are competition – that’s how some people see it.” She added that her mother put her under incredible pressure, saying, “You don’t get to mess up when you have somebody around you who is constantly watching.”

She admits being sexualised from the age of seven, saying she was dressed in “the smallest miniskirts, sailor suits, low-cut things, the shortest dresses you’ve ever seen.

“People thought I was 24 when I was 12. If there was going to be a nude scene when I was that age, my mother would have a thousand percent said yes.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/BUsYjMlh_AO/?hl=en&taken-by=arielwinter

In June, the star’s mum told InTouch Weekly that she wasn’t to blame for her daughter’s outfit choices, claiming she’d prefer if Ariel covered up.

“Ariel needs to grow up,” she said. “I would tell her to dress properly, be the beautiful person she is. I feel sad that she feels the need to expose herself when it’s not necessary.

“Ariel is smart, beautiful and talented. She is a legitimate actress. She does not need to do this. She is beautiful with her clothes on.”

What do you make of Ariel’s latest comments?