Ariel Winter Slams Rumor That Boyfriend Luke Benward Is ‘Controlling’

If you can’t handle the heat — or the truth — stay out of Ariel Winter’s kitchen.

Earlier this month, Winter, 26, filmed a cooking video with her boyfriend, Luke Benward, 28, on TikTok. While many fans chose to leave comments about her stuffed peppers recipe, others opted to speculate about the Modern Family star’s romantic life.

After one follower wrote, “She’s so lucky,” another user was quick to doubt Winter and Benward’s relationship, writing in the comments section: “There’s been so many rumors about him controlling her.”

After seeing the remark, Winter decided to set the record straight once and for all.

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“Guys please help,” she sarcastically replied in the comments section on April 4. “He’s forcing me on OnlyFans so he can be my manager and he doesn’t let me out of the house!!! SOS!!!!”

All jokes aside, Winter warned her fans not to trust every single theory they read on the internet.

“Don’t believe everything you see on [TikTok], especially rumors like that :),” she wrote. “He’s a great man, and if he wasn’t, the dogs would take his ass outside.”

When the user apologized for spreading misinformation, Winter graciously replied with one more reminder.

“It’s totally okay!” she said. “Those clickbait type things are so easy to fall into when really, most of them are just people looking to get views anyway they can.”

Us Weekly exclusively broke the news in January 2020 that Winter and Benward were officially an item after they sparked romance rumors a month prior.

While the pair briefly tried to keep their relationship out of the spotlight, Winter couldn’t help but gush about the actor as time passed.

“He’s amazing. He is definitely my safe space,” she told Entertainment Tonight in July 2021. “We’ve been able to grow together and not just be in a relationship, but we’re partners in business. We’re partners. He’s my best friend.”

Winter continued, “He’s my boyfriend, so it’s really beautiful to be able to get to that place with somebody and to have the friendship foundation first and then to be able to grow into everything, is really, really beautiful.”

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In addition to maintaining a healthy relationship, Winter continues to be focused on her mental health.

In a recent interview on the “Broad Ideas with Rachel Bilson & Olivia Allen” podcast, the Sofia the First alum said she has been going to therapy for two hours every week since she turned 21 years old, adding that she’s “committed” and “open” regarding her mental health journey.

“I want to be as healed as possible,” she said. “And so, yeah, I’ve been putting a lot of effort into it.”