Ariel Winter Reveals Why She Deleted Twitter, Plans Social Media Break

Modern Family star Ariel Winter made a name for herself outside of the hit ABC show with her eye-catching social media posts. But the young actress just deleted her Twitter profile and plans to take a break from social media.

“Ariel has taken a break from Twitter and engaging with commenters on her other platforms because of the constant negativity she experiences,” Winter’s representative said in a statement to Us Weekly Friday. “She needs a moment to breathe and enjoy herself without judgement.”

Winter already deleted her Twitter page, but her Instagram page remains available. Her most recent post there was on July 4, when she shared a gallery of photos from her Independence Day party with friends and relatives. One photo shows her boyfriend, Levi Meaden, squeezing her backside.

Winter’s last messages on Twitter included a threat to paparazzi photographers who try to take photos on her property.

“If a paparazzi attempts to take another f– picture in front of my house one more time I swear to god I will find ANY SORT of legal action,” Winter wrote on Tuesday.

In another message, she wrote, “Sad when you literally enjoy your job but hate every part of the fame aspect. Also sad when you desperately want to move somewhere remote so you can just live a normal life in peace. I can’t speak for anyone else, but I hate being followed and I hate my sh— out in the news.”

Winter’s final tweet was a waving hand emoji.

Winter, 20, had been one of the more active celebrities on social media, sharing plenty of racy photos and images with her friends. She also shared photos from her date nights with Meaden, 30. As a result, she was often targeted by social media trolls who criticized every thing she did, from her fashion choices to her body image.

At one point, Winter’s Modern Family co-star Sarah Hyland stepped in to blast Winter’s critics after Winter shared a paparazzi photo where her nipples were visible through her shirt.

“To all the pervs commenting on this post? GET OFFLINE AND GET BACK TO YOUR BLOWUP DOLL YA CREEPS,” Hyland wrote.

The same photo was the reason behind Winter’s recent outburst against Instagram. Someone reported Winter for sharing the photo, claiming it was a copyright violation. After she was forced to delete it, she re-posted it again, accusing the photographer of violating her privacy.

“Posting again for the idiots who took down MY PHOTO for violating someone else’s copyright,” Winter wrote. “They violated my space so I should at least be able to post it when I want to or just not be f– photographed. Will repost every time it’s taken down.”

In a November 2017 interview with Us Weekly, Winter said she tried to counter trolls with positive messages, in the hope that they might not be so negative in the future.

“It’s difficult to not write something sassy, but I feel better when I write something positive. Maybe they’ll not write something hurtful next time,” Winter said.

Modern Family returns on ABC this fall.