Ariel Winter’s Reported Comeback Faces Image Concerns

Winter, 28, played Alex Dunphy on the ABC sitcom, which ran from 2009 to 2020. After ending her six-year relationship with Luke Benward last year, she has been “networking like crazy,” according to sources quoted by the Daily Mail. One alleged industry insider said Winter’s attempts to present herself as “super sexy” had hurt her career, claiming producers wanted her to appear “clean, scrubbed, and relatable, not trampy.” Another source said fans wanted to see Alex rather than a character likened to Britney Spears.

Winter has also described reasons for leaving Los Angeles that go beyond paparazzi attention. She said the press’s repeated focus on her body damaged her self-esteem when she was 14. She has also spoken about a turbulent relationship with her mother, Chrisoula Workman, whom she accused of abuse; Winter was emancipated at 14. In comments reported by The Blast, she said adult men sent her inappropriate messages when she was young, experiences she said caused trauma and led her to seek therapy.

Since her breakup, Winter has rented a house with former “Modern Family” co-star Nolan Gould in California. She joked that they were already living something like a series reboot. Julie Bowen has also said she remains close to her former castmates; the sitcom ended six years ago.