Ariel Winter reflects on ‘painful’ childhood and present life

Ariel Winter, who rose to fame as the whip-smart Alex Dunphy on Modern Family, is proving that life after childhood stardom can be sweet—even after weathering some seriously stormy years as a kid.

Now 27, the actress says she’s in a great place, and with that peace has come the strength to reflect on the rougher parts of her past.

“Honestly it’s just my entire childhood,” Winter shared with People when asked about the root of her deepest trauma.

She doesn’t get into the specifics, but it’s clear the experiences run deep. Her strained relationship with her mother, Chrisoula Workman—whom she previously accused of abuse (allegations her mother denied)—cast a long shadow over her early life.

At just 14, Winter was placed under the guardianship of her older sister, Shanelle Gray. By 17, she was legally emancipated and hasn’t spoken about—or to—her mother since.

“It’s a really deep, painful, sore, sore part for me that’s so much deeper and bigger than I’ve ever felt ready to talk about,” she admits, candidly.

But Ariel isn’t one to dwell in the darkness.

These days, she credits therapy and her advocacy work with SOSA (Safe From Online Sex Abuse) for helping her build healthy coping tools and regain her voice—minus the online noise that once plagued her.

And speaking of fresh starts, the actress has traded L.A. for a quieter life away from the paparazzi flashbulbs, shacking up with her boyfriend, actor Luke Benward, and their adorable pack of rescue dogs.

“I didn’t leave the industry, I just left the city of L.A.,” she says. “It holds some not-great memories for me… If you’re no longer on a network show that shoots there, you don’t really have to be there.”

Instead, the couple are living the dream—think cozy nights, cooking together, and a shared love of video games.

“I love it,” Winter says about her kitchen adventures, which she often shares with fans on Instagram. Of Benward, she laughs, “I jokingly call him my 'sexy little sous chef.'”

Though she's embraced the low-key lifestyle, Winter still lights up when she’s recognized out and about—so long as it’s not by a swarm of paparazzi.

“I’m always friendly to fans. I think it’s really sweet to be recognized,” she says. “The thing that was a major problem for me in L.A. was the paparazzi… I don’t have that now.”

But don’t think she’s stepped away from the spotlight completely.

Winter is set to reprise her voice role in Sofia the First: Royal Magic, and she’s got even more cooking—literally and figuratively. A podcast, a cooking show, and multiple projects with Benward are all on her plate.

And her heart? That belongs to dogs in need.

“There are a couple of things that have felt like my purpose to me, and rescuing dogs is one of them,” she says.

“They need somebody to advocate for them… They deserve a second chance. I don’t think a lot of people realize what that feels like and what that means. And I do. I really do.”