Sofia Vergara speaks candidly about Joe Manganiello divorce

Vergara and Manganiello were married for seven years before announcing their divorce

Sofia Vergara has spoken candidly about her divorce from Joe Manganiello and dealing with the aftermath of her split in the public eye.

In an interview with CBS News on 14 January, the Modern Family star explained how she’s managed to focus on her well-being despite the constant attention surrounding her former relationship. “I’ve been moving on. You’re out there and people know that’s part of being a celebrity. I knew it was gonna happen. You can’t hide those things,” she confessed.

Nevertheless, Vergara has been pleasantly surprised by the kindness she’s received from the press as she’s transitioned into a new phase of her life.

“It wasn’t bad. I think, you know, I have to say the press was very respectful and very nice,” she noted. “And I thought that they were gonna invent more things, and you know how it usually is. I was surprised and they kind of just said what it was and that was it.”

However, fans were shocked by the announcement of the actor’s split from the Magic Mike star in July 2023. The two first met back in 2014 when they attended the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner. At the time, Vergara was engaged to Nick Loeb. However, a few weeks after meeting Manganiello, the A-lister called off her engagement.

After asking mutual friend Jesse Tyler Ferguson for her number, Manganiello finally scored a date with Vergara in June 2014. It only took two months for the pair to make their relationship debut.

“You know, I’m just having a great time and it’s a special time in my life and I’m trying not to think too much about it. It’s something very new so we will see what happens,” Vergara told Extra at the time. From then, the Hollywood couple went full speed ahead and moved in together by November 2014. The two were engaged in December that year.

Manganiello previously told Haute Living: “Our first date was in June, and then I proposed to her on Christmas Eve; [we dated for] about six months. When you know, you know, and we knew right away - like, very quickly.”

“We had this big bay window [that I opened up], and the sun was going down pink over the mountains and over the bay, and I had this ring. I had looked at every ring in the world,” he continued. “And this is the ring that I wanted. I had a whole speech prepared in Spanish. I proposed to her on one knee in Spanish with the sun going down. It was awesome.”

The former couple’s wedding took place in November 2015, seven years before their divorce.

When the news of their split broke last July, the former couple issued a joint statement. “As two people that love and care for one another very much, we politely ask for respect for our privacy at this time as we navigate this new phase of our lives,” they said. Two days later, Manganiello filed for divorce, citing “irreconcilable differences”.