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"Modern Family" star Ariel Winter left Los Angeles to escape the trauma of growing up in the spotlight.

Winter, now 27, gained fame after starring in the ABC show as Alex Dunphy. As she transitioned from child star to teen celebrity, Winter said the negative comments about her body took a toll on her self-esteem.

"It was just everywhere," she told People magazine. "It was every headline I read about myself, like, grown people writing articles about me saying how I looked terrible or pregnant or like a fat s---. I mean, I was 14. It totally damaged my self-esteem."

"I understood what it was like to be hated," Winter added. "No matter what I was going through, I was a target. It made it very difficult to look at myself in the mirror and go, ‘I love this version of me.'"

Winter's childhood wasn't only marred by the harsh lights of Hollywood. The young actress was allegedly abused by her mother, who has denied the allegations.

At the age of 14, Winter was placed with her sister, Shanelle Gray, after being removed from her home by Child Protective Services.

"I went on to have a great rest of my teenage years thanks to being under her custody," Winter told the outlet.