Joe Manganiello Disputes Sofia Vergara’s Divorce Explanation

Joe Manganiello is clearing up any misconceptions about his recent split from ex-wife Sofía Vergara after seven years of marriage. Earlier this year, the Modern Family alum, 52, had suggested their marriage ended due to Manganiello’s desire for children, which she did not share. However, the True Blood star insists these claims are “simply not true.”

In the latest edition of Men’s Journal, Manganiello addressed the rumors, stating, “There’s been a lot said in the press about me wanting a family.” He explained that he and Vergara had, in fact, tried to start a family during their first year and a half together. Manganiello emphasized that they had a significant discussion within the first month of dating about their future and potential family plans. He recalled telling Vergara, “If you’re done with kids, then I understand. Just tell me, and I’ll know what this is, and that’s okay,” to which Vergara did not indicate she was done. Manganiello added, “I swore to her that I would never leave if it didn’t work out. And I didn’t.”

Vergara is already a mother to 32-year-old son Manolo, from a previous relationship. While Manganiello did express a desire to have children with Vergara, he clarified that their differing views on starting a family were not the main reason for their breakup. “It’s because two people grew apart, and sometimes that happens,” he said.

In a separate interview with El País, Vergara shared her perspective, stating that her marriage “broke up because my husband was younger; he wanted to have kids and I didn’t want to be an old mom. I feel it’s not fair to the baby. I respect whoever does it, but that’s not for me anymore.” She explained she had her son at a young age and now felt ready to be a grandmother, not a mother again. “So, if love comes along, he has to come with [his own] children,” she added.

Besides addressing the reasons behind their split, Manganiello expressed his frustrations about how he has been portrayed post-divorce. He told Men’s Journal, “To be painted as if I had some sort of midlife crisis, and after nine years, turned to somebody and gave them an ultimatum of, ‘Do this potentially unhealthy thing to your body, or else I’m gone’? That’s never who I was.”

Vergara and Manganiello tied the knot at the Breakers Resort in Palm Beach, Florida, in November 2015. After seven years together, the couple announced in a statement to Page Six in July 2023 that they had “made the difficult decision to divorce. As two people that love and care for one another very much, we politely ask for respect of our privacy at this time as we navigate this new phase of our lives.” Just two days later, Manganiello officially filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences, and listed the date of separation as July 2. Vergara responded with a filing of her own on July 26.

Source: Men’s Journal, El País, Page Six