What Sofía Vergara Really Blames For Her Split From Joe Manganiello
In a shocking twist that left fans reeling, former Hollywood power couple Sofía Vergara and Joe Manganiello announced their split in July 2023, ending seven years of seemingly blissful marriage. The news sent shockwaves through Tinseltown, as it seemed the two were the epitome of #RelationshipGoals ever since their romance first blossomed in 2014. Their glamorous appearances on red carpets and myriad public displays of affection made them a favorite among fans and media alike. Alas, even the comeliest of couples can't seem to escape the curse of the elusive irreconcilable differences.
Rumors quickly swirled surrounding possible reasons for said split, leaving no stone unturned regarding the juicy details. Tabloids speculated about everything from their frequent "bickering about the small things," to a reported dog custody battle over their 10-year-old Chihuahua mix, Bubbles. Some sources also told the Daily Mail the two actors' contrasting temperaments had "been chipping away for a while." "It added up to where now it is easier and more relaxing not being together," an insider told the outlet. According to the "Magic Mike" and "Modern Family" stars, their split was, for the most part, amicable. As Manganiello and Vergara wrote in their joint statement upon this "difficult decision to divorce," they remained "two people that love and care for one another very much."
In January 2024, Vergara finally broke her silence about why she and Manganiello really said their goodbyes as husband and wife.
Sofia Vergara and Joe Manganiello disagreed over having children
Sofia Vergara is adamant about not having more children ... and it ended her seven-year union with Joe Manganiello in 2023. In an interview published January 15, 2024, Vergara told Spain's daily newspaper, El País, "My 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." The "Griselda" star added that she has "respect" for older moms, but "that's not for me anymore."
Furthermore, Vergara told El País that she was already prepared for the next chapter. As the actor reminded the outlet, her adult son, Manolo Gonzalez Vergara (whom she had during her first marriage to Joe Gonzalez), was of child-rearing age himself. "I had a son at 19, who is now 32, and I'm ready to be a grandmother, not a mother," Vergara stated. "So, if love comes along, he has to come with [his own] children. I'm almost in menopause; it's the natural way of things."
Following her separation from Gonzalez, Sofia raised Manolo by herself since birth, hustling to balance a burgeoning acting career and her son's upbringing. It wasn't easy, but as she told People in 2016, "When people compliment me on him, how well mannered, how charming, funny, and well-behaved he is, it makes all the sacrifices worthwhile."
This wasn't the first time Sofia Vergara and an ex disagreed about kids
It's as if Sofia Vergara can't stop turning down men who want to become her baby daddies... In a highly publicized case that unfolded over several years, Vergara and her ex-fiancé, snack entrepreneur Nick Loeb, were locked in a heated legal battle over the fate of frozen embryos they created together. Engaged from 2012 to 2014, the couple underwent in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatments at the ART Reproductive Center in Beverly Hills in 2013. After their breakup (and after marrying Joe Manganiello in 2015), Vergara filed legal documents in 2017 to block Loeb from using the pre-embryos they created to produce a child via surrogate. For his part of the drawn-out custody battle, Loeb argued it was within his rights to use the embryos with or without her consent. Penning an op-ed for The New York Times in 2015, Loeb wrote that "our frozen embryos have a right to live," raising within it the larger questions of how embryonic custody was a matter of "life, religion, and parenthood."
Ultimately, a Los Angeles court ruled in favor of Vergara in March 2021. Emphasizing the importance of respecting individual wishes on the topic of reproduction, the court ruling asserted that the embryos could not be used without the mutual consent of both parties involved. In this case, it meant that for Loeb, his parental aspirations for the frozen embryos were a no-go without having obtained Vergara's written permission.