Summary
- Ariel Winter remained composed during a candid interview with Ellen about her emancipation from her mother.
- Winter praised her sister for being the best part of her life after being granted custody at 17.
- Fans were divided on Ellen's probing questions, with some defending the scripted nature of the interview.
At the height of her success on Modern Family, Ariel Winter appeared for an interview on The Ellen DeGeneres Show to talk about her life and career. The host constantly peppered her with questions about her estranged mother, but the actress took it all in her stride.
The final episode of Modern Family aired on April 8, 2020, with Winter having featured in 233 out of 250 episodes of the ABC sitcom. In the years since, she decided to move away from Hollywood and off the map, choosing to focus less on acting and more on her personal life.
That is not to say that she is a closed book; Winter has often been open about struggles she has faced with her mental health. It was a similarly candid approach that she took when answering very personal questions from Ellen about her relationship with her estranged mother.
Ellen DeGeneres Put Ariel Winter On The Spot Regarding Her Family Situation
Ariel Winter and Ellen were having a regular chat about the actor’s work on Modern Family, before the host took a sharp turn to the topic of family. “So, you are emancipated from your mother. Explain to people who don't know what that is... What does that mean?” Ellen asked, setting the stage for an uncomfortable exchange.
Ariel Winter's Family Tree
- Glenn Workman, part-time Actor (The Choice) - Father
- Chrisoula Batistas / Workman - Mother
- Shanelle Workman-Gray, Actress (One Life to Live, The Bold and the Beautiful) - Sister
- Jimmy Workman, Retired child actor (The Addams Family, Addams Family Values) - Brother
Winter was gracious in response, however, giving a concise explanation of her situation. She confirmed that the process started for her when she was 14, with the help of her sister Shanelle Workman, who is also a star of the screen in Hollywood.
The older sibling was eventually granted full custody of Winter when the Modern Family star was 17. “She’s been the best part of my life. She really is my best friend, [and] is the most important thing to me,” Winter told Ellen. “She's been there for me through absolutely everything and I just love her so much. I count on her with everything.”
Ariel Winter Kept Her Cool Throughout The Uncomfortable Interview With Ellen
Ariel Winter went on to confirm that neither her nor her sister Shanelle were still in touch with their birth mother, Chrisoula Workman. Ellen was not done pushing, however, as she tasked her guest to talk about working in Hollywood despite everything she was facing at home.
Winter (which is actually her middle name) remained calm despite the personal nature of the questions, as she spoke about the difficulties of having to take on parenting duties while still being a child. “Well it was definitely hard to grow up in the industry, but [also to] just grow up in any instance without a mother from a very young age,” she said.
Ellen then ramped up the line of questioning: “You love doing what you do, but from a young age, this was not your choice to go into this business, [was it?]”
Winter confirmed that this was indeed the case, but just like she had done for most of the interview, focused on the less controversial angles. The Virginia-born star stated that she would love to continue acting for the rest of her life, but would also like to explore other experiences, such as going to law school.
Most Fans Took Ellen DeGeneres’ Side In The Exchange With Ariel Winter
As with just about any discourse taking place on social media, there were two sides that reacted to Ariel Winter’s uncomfortable interview on Ellen. There were those who supported the comedian, saying that the talk show was often scripted, and that Winter would have known exactly what was coming.
“It's scripted, Ariel wants to talk about those subject[s] publicly on the show, so it's not uncomfortable at all,” one fan argued. Another concurred with that view, saying, “It is [scripted... and] what's wrong with that? If you're going to run a successful show like this one, which has run for soooo long, it has to be prepared and worked on.”
For the most part, though, the audience online felt that Ellen crossed a line she shouldn’t have. “Ellen was asking her some clearly uncomfortable questions, but she managed to answer in a respectful, caring way… Ariel, we love you,” a comment supporting Winter read. Someone else said: “Ellen has no boundaries... she should learn to respect other people’s lives.”
