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Sarah Hyland Was Accused of Body Shaming a Woman on Instagram, But It Was All a Misunderstanding

Modern Family actress Sarah Hyland has been in the spotlight recently, but not for the best reason. Hyland came under fire after an Instagram story she posted was perceived as body shaming. Sarah filmed a woman in the car next to her and said, “How did you get in your car, miss?”

This has led to backlash on social media from people who thought Sarah was criticizing the woman’s weight. For instance, one Twitter user called Hyland “an asshole” for filming and mocking the woman. 

Others rushed to Sarah’s defense, pointing out the lack of car handle on the door. The actress responded in her Instagram stories, according to Teen Vogue. “If you noticed, the car didn’t have a car handle,” she said. “That’s why I was questioning how she got in the car or not. It didn’t have a handle.”

Sarah also shared the friendly conversation she had with a woman who claims to be the one in the video. Hyland fired back at her critics, “For those who thought I was making fun of a woman’s weight
That thought never even crossed through my mind.. but it did in yours.” 

It seems obvious to me that Sarah was referencing the missing door handle. I find it hard to believe that Hyland of all people would body shame anyone considering her own struggles. Sarah has kidney dysplasia, which has made it incredibly difficult for her to retain weight, and led to criticism that she’s too thin and encouraging an unhealthy body image in girls. I think Sarah’s strong responses to the negativity surrounding her own weight make it pretty clear that she wouldn’t treat anyone else that way.

Hey, I'm Casey! I'm a third year student at the University of Virginia studying Global Security and Justice with a minor in French. At school, I'm involved in many clubs, volunteer programs, and my sorority. I love reading novels, trying new healthy recipes and workouts, and long distance running almost as much as I love nachos, any dessert involving peanut butter, and laying in bed wasting my time on Pinterest and bingeing House of Cards on Netflix. I'm also arguably the world's biggest Harry Potter fan, and have been known to watch all 8 movies in the span of one day. If you also enjoy debating whether Harry should have ended up with Hermione instead of Ginny or watching Facebook food videos for hours on end, we should be best friends immediately.