Ariel Winter has not spoken to her mother in more than three years, but the actress paid tribute to her "mom-like" elder sister on the occasion of Mother's Day.
Posting a snap of her sister, Shanelle Gray, on her Instagram account, the 18-year-old actress wrote, "#HappyMothersDay to this insanely beautiful woman inside and out, my sister, my best friend. I love you so much. You are the most amazing mother I've ever known and we are all so grateful for you!"
"Although I'm now 18 and mommy role is over, I will always have a special place in my heart for those years you raised me as your own," the 'Modern Family' star further wrote.
She continued, "So this day is your day, because you deserve the world! I always feel so lucky that I have such an amazing role model. I hope one day I can be as wonderful as you. I love you more than anything and am so grateful to have you. Thank you for being the most amazing person on this planet and for being my everything."
Winters has faced several years of legal battles in order to become emancipated from her mother. The courts ultimately granted her request in May of 2015.
