Ariel Winter slams photographer who 'violated her space' in photo copyright drama

As one of the lead stars on Modern Family, Ariel Winter is no stranger to being trailed by paparazzi. That doesn’t mean she has to like it.

Just days ago, the 20-year-old actress posted a paparazzi shot (shown above) that captured her filling up her car’s tank at a gas station. Winter cracked a joke about the expression on her face, prompting co-star and friend Sarah Hyland to follow suit. Hyland also called out sexual comments some people had made in response to Winter’s photo.

“To all the pervs commenting on this post?” Hyland wrote. “GET OFFLINE AND GET BACK TO YOUR BLOWUP DOLL YA CREEPS!”

But Winter’s post eventually got yanked. Why? According to an Instagram notice she shared with fans, her post violated the photographer’s copyright — because she had not paid for the right to use it.

Her response was at first one of confusion. Then she turned defiant, reposting the photo and vowing to continue doing so as a matter of principle.

“Posting again for the idiots who took down MY PHOTO for violating someone else’s copyright,” she told her followers. “They violated my space so I should at least be able to post it when I want to or just not be f***ing photographed. Will repost every time it’s taken down.”

She also shot back at “haters” who responded that being photographed was the price she paid for being famous — with one person saying he hoped the photographer took Winter to court.

But loyal fans defended Winter’s right to privacy and said they couldn’t understand why a photo of her could have a copyright without her permission. Her supporters included Zendaya, who liked her post,
and Hyland.

Winter encouraged fans to repost the image — though doing so could result in a fine should the copyright holder choose to pursue it.

Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle:

• Ariel Winter’s booty workout isn’t for the faint of heart
  

• Jessica Simpson berated by ‘parent police’ for letting injured son play in the pool with broken bone
  

• Rihanna’s new eyeliner is named for a 2011 comeback to a hater

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day.