Ariel Winter caused a stir at the FYC Event in Los Angeles. Photo / AP
Ariel Winter caused a stir at the FYC Event in Los Angeles. Photo / AP
Sarah Hyland has defended her Modern Family "sister" Ariel Winter after her co-star copped criticism for wearing a very revealing dress.
Hyland, 26, took to Twitter to hit out at paparazzi she says tried to bait her into saying nasty things about Winter.
Winter often makes headlines for her bold fashion style and recently was criticised online for wearing a daring dress for a Modern Family press day, while her co-stars all adopted a smart casual dress code.
"Paps at the airport trying to get me to talk s**t about my girl @arielwinter1 ?? y'all digging for something you're never gonna get," Hyland wrote.
The teenager, who had a breast reduction in 2015 going from a 32F to a 32D bra size, hit out at critics of her recent outfit choice.
"Why TF does anyone care that I didn't dress casual like everyone else for the panel?"
Winter questioned in an Instagram post. "Why do I have to be like everyone else? Why can't people just let other people feel good about themselves and do what they want? WEAR WHATEVER YOU WANT PEOPLE!"
Winter plays Alex Dunphy on Modern Family, while Hyland played her older sister, Haley.
Winter is very close to her Modern Family family, who supported her when she was having personal problems with her mother that saw them both in court.
Winter went through several years of legal battles with her mother, Chrisoula Workman, over allegations that Workman emotionally and physically abused her.
Winter was ultimately emancipated from her mother.
"It's really hard to have that kind of drama in your life and to be going through that court situation and have an open court case and have everybody look at it and have the media around you trying and paint different pictures," she said.
The cast of Modern Family from left, Nolan Gould, Steve Levitan, Ariel Winter, Eric Stonestreet, Julie Bowen, Aubrey Anderson-Emmons, Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Ty Burrell. Photo / AP
"It's already hard enough for abuse victims, but it's harder in the public eye when everybody has an opinion."
Winter, meanwhile, has revealed she is living with her 29-year-old boyfriend, Levi Meaden. She has dated the Canadian actor since November.
"I do have my own house - last year I bought my first house," Winter said on Jimmy Kimmel Live on Wednesday night. "My boyfriend and I live together. He cooks .... [and] takes care of all that handy stuff ... I'm the worst wifely person."
She also said her Modern Family castmates no longer treat her like a child.
"They definitely treat me like an adult," she told Kimmel. "It's weird for them because we were 10 and 11 years old when we started, and now that we're all semi-adults, it's different."
