Sofía Vergara has opened up about why she got divorced from Joe Manganiello.
Vergara, 51, and Joe Manganiello, 47, officially declared their separation after seven years of marriage in an announcement issued on July 17.
In a joint statement to Page Six, the couple expressed the difficulty of their decision to part ways while emphasizing their enduring love for each other. They also made a plea for privacy during this challenging time in their lives.
"We have made the difficult decision to divorce," the couple shared. "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."
In a recent interview with Spanish outlet El País, Vergara has shed light on the reasons behind her divorce.
“My marriage broke up because my husband was younger; he wanted to have kids and I didn’t want to be an old mom,” Vergara shared. “I feel it’s not fair to the baby.”
Despite acknowledging and respecting others' choices, Vergara made it clear that she was no longer inclined to embark on the journey of motherhood again. Already a mother to a 32-year-old son from her first marriage with Joe Gonzalez, Vergara expressed her readiness to embrace the role of a grandmother.
“I had a son at 19, who is now 32, and I’m ready to be a grandmother, not a mother,” she explained. “So, if love comes along, he has to come with [his own] children.”
With a candid acknowledgment of her life stage, Vergara added: “I’m almost in menopause; it’s the natural way of things. When my son becomes a dad, let him bring the baby to me for a while and then I’ll give it back to him and go on with my life; that’s what I have to do.”
A source close to the pair had informed Page Six at the time: "Sofía and Joe have been growing apart for a while now and are taking some distance from each other to contemplate their future."
Following the public announcement, Manganiello swiftly filed for divorce, citing "irreconcilable differences." He has since moved on, making a red carpet debut with his new girlfriend, Caitlin O’Connor, 33, at the Children of Armenia Fund Gala in New York City in December 2023.
Meanwhile, Vergara shared her current relationship status during an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, stating that she is "single now."