Joe Manganiello Refutes Sofia Vergara's Reason Behind Their Divorce

Joe Manganiello filed for divorce from the 'Griselda' star in July 2023.

By Allison Schonter

Joe Manganiello is setting the record straight about why he and his ex-wife Sofía Vergara decided to divorce after seven years of marriage. After the Modern Family alum, 52, claimed earlier this year that their marriage ended because Manganiello, 47, wanted children and she didn't, the True Blood star disputed those claims, stating that they are "simply not true."

In the latest edition of Men's Journal, Manganiello noted that "there's been a lot said in the press about me wanting a family." According to the Deal or No Deal Island host, he and Vergara "did try to have a family for the first year and a half. And we had a huge conversation right out of the gate during the first month we dated." During that conversation, Manganiello said he told Vergara, "If you're done with kids, then I understand. Just tell me, and I'll know what this is, and that's OK," but "that wasn't the case" for the Griselda star. Manganiello added that he "swore to her that I would never leave if it didn't work out. And I didn't."

Vergara is mom to son Manolo, 32, whom she welcomed in a previous relationship. While Manganiello said he did want to have children with the actress, he said that their disagreement "wasn't inevitably why everything ended." Instead, he said, "it's because two people grew apart, and sometimes that happens."

In her El País interview, Vergara said 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 added that she "had a son at 19, who is now 32, and I'm ready to be a grandmother, not a mother. So, if love comes along, he has to come with [his own] children."

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Speaking with Men's Journal, Manganiello expressed frustrations with the image of him that was painted after the divorce, telling the outlet, "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 of marriage, the former couple confirmed in a statement shared with Page Six in July 2023 that "they "have 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." Manganiello officially filed for divorce from Vergara two days later, citing irreconcilable differences. He listed the date of separation as July 2. Vergara responded with a filing of her own on July 26.

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