Ariel Winter: Trolls Weren't Reason For Breast Reduction Surgery

21st Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards - Arrivals — Getty Image

At age 18, the average first-world teenager graduates from high school and takes a few awkward steps out of the nest. Ariel Winter‘s lived a lot more than the average 18-year-old woman. She worked at achieving emancipation for years, grew up under ungodly Hollywood beauty standards, and forged through a breast reduction ordeal. While large breasts are often seen as the apex of womanhood, they can be a serious pain. There’s nothing quite like feeling betrayed by one’s own body, and Winter has spoken at length about “the excruciating pain” involved with hauling around 32-F breasts.

Winter recently said she’s “not ashamed” of her scars from the surgery, for the comfort of 34-D breasts is worth any downside. In a new interview with TIME‘s Motto blog, Winter says the trolls once raged with “gross” comments after her body (seemingly) matured overnight. She says “older male fans” were particularly rude, and Hollywood compounded matters by offering her “older” roles, as well. Winter, still a child at that point, heard plenty of criticism from grown-ass adults about her natural-born body. However, she says the surgery was only for herself:

“People may find it hard to believe, but when I got my breast-reduction surgery last year, it wasn’t because of the mean comments online. It wasn’t because I didn’t like how I looked. Having so much weight on my frame was affecting me psychologically. I was uncomfortable and unhappy. I chose surgery because of how I felt, not because of what anyone else thought.”

Winter is only five feet tall, and her slight frame couldn’t handle all of that weight on her chest. These days, she’s able to shop for normal-sized clothes and doesn’t have to cope with physical pain and creepy comments online. Well, those terrible comments are still there, but they’re a different brand of awful. Winter says she was also — oddly enough — criticized for having the surgery, but she’s totally happy with the trade off.

For sure, though, Winter’s still seeing some questionable commentary.