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Over the weekend, Modern Family actress Ariel Winter posted a photo of herself on a boat with her two young nieces. Like most people on boats, she's wearing a swimsuit, but this, as any woman who has ever worn a swimsuit in public and posted a photo of it may be familiar with, turned out to be a problem for some of her followers.
In another Instagram post, Ariel addressed the comments she received on the photo — which, among the more than 1,200 that remain, include "You're asking for it," and "a two-piece bikini isn't what a 17-year-old should be wearing." She wrote:
Who knew that an innocent photo with my nieces would turn into this? The height of a girl's skirt or whatever she is wearing for that matter does not imply what she is asking for. It sickens me to think at 17 years old, a photo of myself with my nieces is suggesting that I'm "asking for it." I typically never give power to the mean things people bravely say behind their computer screens on the Internet, but this is for the girls who are constantly bullied whether it be online or at school. You are not asking for anything because of what you are wearing— you are expressing yourself and don't you ever think you deserve the negativity as the consequence to what you are wearing. YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL. Celebrate you and don't let anyone's comments allow you to think less of yourself. Us girls have to stick together!!!!!!
This was the original photo:
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