Actors Sofía Vergara and Joe Manganiello, who have been an iconic couple in Hollywood for the last seven years, have recently announced their decision to divorce. The news came as a surprise to their fans, creating a stir in the celebrity world.
“We have made the difficult decision to divorce. 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 in a joint statement to Page Six.
Vergara, 51, best known for her role as Gloria Pritchett in “Modern Family,” and Manganiello, known for his performances in “Spiderman” and as the werewolf Alcide Herveaux in the series “True Blood,” tied the knot in a lavish Palm Beach ceremony in November 2015. The grand event was graced by 400 guests, including celebrities such as Vergara’s “Modern Family” co-stars Ariel Winter, Ed O’Neill, Eric Stonestreet, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Julie Bowen, Sarah Hyland, and Ty Burrell, along with Manganiello’s “True Blood” co-stars Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer.
Their romance began in 2014 when Manganiello met Vergara at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, thanks to her “Modern Family” co-star Jesse Tyler Ferguson. He proposed in December of the same year, leading to their star-studded wedding in 2015. Back in 2020, Manganiello expressed his sentiments about their relationship to People Magazine. “I knew pretty quickly that I could trust her, and she knew pretty quickly that she could trust me,” he revealed.
However, lately, their relationship seemed to have taken a different turn. They have kept a low profile, with public breakup rumors igniting after Manganiello’s very terse birthday “¡¡¡Feliz Cumpleaños Sofía!!!” tribute to Vergara on social media. Page Six reported that Vergara, currently a judge on the NBC hit “America’s Got Talent,” was celebrating her 51st birthday without Manganiello in Italy, and was last seen with him in June in Hoboken, New Jersey. The actor was away filming a project at the time.
The couple’s friends initially dismissed rumors, attributing Manganiello’s absence to his filming commitments on the East Coast. However, with the ongoing writers’ and actors’ strikes, the absence became more noticeable, sparking further speculation about their relationship. One insider revealed, “At the start of Sofia’s big birthday trip, those close to her were explaining away Joe’s absence; but once the actors’ strike took effect, he could have been on the first flight… and he quite clearly is not. So now no one out there with her is even attempting to pretend that it’s not over. It’s over. It’s done.”
Indeed, Manganiello’s absence during Vergara’s Italian escapade did not go unnoticed by their fans, who took to Instagram questioning his whereabouts. Amid the speculations, Vergara has been sharing a series of posts from her trip, seemingly living her best life, albeit without her wedding ring or her husband by her side.
Despite the sad news, the couple has asked for privacy and respect as they embark on this new chapter of their lives. Their statement illustrates the mutual respect and love they still have for each other. They’ve been a beloved couple in Hollywood, and their fans worldwide are wishing them strength during this difficult time.
