Ariel Winter: Kim Kardashian Is "Promoting Body Positivity"

The Modern Family actress had earlier this month defended the Keeping Up With the Kardashians star publicly after she was criticized by many over a nude selfie she posted online

Ariel Winter is continuing to stick up for Kim Kardashian after she faced criticism for her nude selfie, saying the Keeping Up With the Kardashians star is "promoting body positivity."

Amid the backlash last month, the 18-year-old Modern Family actress tweeted, "No one was body shaming @justinbieber when he posted his nude guitar photo so why @kimkardashian? #herbodyherchoice." Kim, 35, later sent Ariel flowers as a thank-you gift.

"I think she's promoting body positivity," the actress said on the Australian radio show Kyle and Jackie O Wednesday. "You know, young girls being able to express that they don't have a stick-thin body—they're curvy. And stick-thin bodies are amazing, you know, those girls are amazing too but I think that everybody's body would be celebrated no matter what it is and I think that it's great that she's so comfortable with herself and that she's able to post out there what she wants to post and if she wants to post a nude selfie, she can."

"The whole thing that I don't understand with the stigma these days is there are so many guys that go out there that are so cool with posing nude and doing all these things and they post about it, they post photos, talk about it, they go on talk shows, they do all these things and then when women do it, we're really crucified," Ariel continued. "We're not able to do the exact same thing and I think it's really upsetting to be in an industry where that's happening, so I really decided to stand up for her because I thought it was so ridiculous."

Kim's critics had included fellow celebs, such as Bette Midler, 70, who joked, "If Kim wants us to see a part of her we've never seen, she's gonna have to swallow the camera." Kim fired back at her haters with a series of feisty tweets, including one directed at the singer and actress that read, "Hey @BetteMidler I know it's past your bedtime but if you're still up and reading this send nudes #justkidding."

Ariel has been body shamed herself and has spoken out against the practice before the controversy. She said on the Kyle and Jackie O show that posting Kim posting a nude pic doesn't hurt anybody.

"If somebody doesn't like the post, they can unfollow them," she said. "There's no reason to go on and publicly bash them and I think, you know, she's promoting positivity instead of being a bad role model."