Ariel Winter's Staggering Height Difference With Beau Luke Seems To Cause One Issue
It isn't a stretch to say that "Modern Family" star Ariel Winter has totally transformed since the hit show came to an end. One of the biggest developments in her life has been the actor's romance with fellow Disney Channel alum Luke Benward, whom she started dating shortly before "Modern Family" concluded. But while the two look undeniably gorgeous together, one undeniable truth about Winter's boyfriend, Benward, is that the six-foot-two-inch actor absolutely towers over his five-foot-one-inch lady love.
Winter is known to turn heads with her Instagram posts, but her photos with Benward often see the "Phineas and Ferb" star turning her own head upward just to meet eyes with her beau. This would make even going in for a quick kiss a bit difficult, with one 2023 Instagram photo celebrating the couple's three-year anniversary showing that even standing on her tippy toes, Winter's lips can't quite reach Benward's. This got us wondering just why so many women prefer to date taller guys, so we decided to ask an expert.
According to Susan Trombetti, matchmaker and the CEO of Exclusive Matchmaking, women "feel safe with a taller man." As she elaborated, "It might just be perception, but being with a bigger guy, no one generally messes with either of you. They usually think twice." Trombetti added during her exclusive chat with The List that women also "love tall guys because they command more attention in a room," noting that they tend to "feel more feminine with a taller guy" than they would with a shorter one too.
Height gaps like Ariel Winter and Luke Benward's might be rarer than you think
While men tend to be taller than women on average, massive height gaps like the one shared between Luke Benward and Ariel Winter aren't actually that common. According to matchmaker Susan Trombetti, while women in the dating scene often prefer to look for guys who are six feet tall or over, such as the "Dumplin'" star, they're pretty few and far between. "At best, only 14.5 percent of the men are six feet and over and it might be as little as 10 percent," Trombetti pointed out to The List.
This trend extends to Hollywood too. "A lot of the leading men aren't even six feet tall," she confirmed. "Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Matt Damon, and Tom Cruise, to name some, are less than six feet tall. Of course, Liam Hemsworth and Jason Momoa are, but they aren't as big as stars. It's all a perception thing." With that in mind, Trombetti mentioned that most men usually like women who are shorter than them, as well. As for why exactly that is, the expert reckons that it at least partially ties back into the well-established dynamics of masculinity and femininity.
Likewise, perceived economic status and good ol' testosterone play a role too. As Trombetti asserted, "Men like to be with shorter women because it makes them feel more masculine. The men feel like they can be the protectors, and therefore they are attracted to petite women." Unfortunately, taller women tend to feel left out as a result. Kissing impediments aside, Ariel Winter certainly doesn't have that problem.