Sofia Vergara and Joe Manganiello to DIVORCE: Couple announce ‘difficult decision’ to separate after seven years of marriage – just DAYS after hunk was slammed by fans for ‘COLD’ birthday tribute to actress
- In a statement, the couple, Vergara, 51, and Manganiello, 46, told Page Six : ‘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 of our privacy at this time as we navigate this new phase of our lives’
- The split announcement comes just four days after Manganiello’s birthday tribute to Vergara came under major scrutiny from fans who labeled it as ‘cold’
- READ MORE: Vergara and Manganiello listed mansion month before split
Sofia Vergara and Joe Manganiello have split after seven years of marriage.
In a statement, the couple, Vergara, 51, and Manganiello, 46, shared: ‘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 of our privacy at this time as we navigate this new phase of our lives.’
A source added: ‘Sofía and Joe have been growing apart for a while now and are taking some distance from each other to contemplate their future.’
The split announcement comes just four days after Manganiello’s birthday tribute to Vergara came under major scrutiny from fans who labeled it as ‘cold’ leading to many fans to wonder about their relationship status.
The hunk took to his Instagram last Monday to share a low-resolution photo of him and his wife cuddled up for her 51st birthday as she celebrated her big day in Italy.
Over: Sofia Vergara and Joe Manganiello have split after seven years of marriage (pictured March 2023 – their last red carpet together)
So sad: In a statement, the couple, Vergara, 51, and Manganiello, 46, shared: ‘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 of our privacy’
No ring: The pinup from Colombia had no ring on when seen in Capri last week in an image shared to Instagram
The Magic Mike actor kept the caption simple for his 2.7million fans as he wrote: ‘¡¡¡Feliz Cumpleaños Sofía!!!’
The comment section of the post was full of concerned fans as one wrote: ‘Joe, I hope you guys are ok, that was a very different(cold) happy birthday wish to your wife, compare to previous ones!. [sad face emoji]’
Another said: ‘Something is definitely up. He hasn’t commented on her photos she’s been posted. hmmm…….’
Others questioned the way that the post had come off as he did not say much more than a straightforward greeting.
A follow posted: ‘Am I the only one who doesn’t like the way it sounds? “ Sofia”…. not even “ My love, My beloved wife” …. [woman facepalming emoji]’
It is interesting to note that Sofia has not commented on the post.
The split was first revealed by PageSix.
Entertainment Tonight claimed that the divorce has been coming for a long time.
‘They have been spending time apart and focusing on themselves, their careers, and their loved ones,’ the insider claimed.
‘Sofia has been giving her all to her new beauty brand, toty, and is very involved and excited about it.
‘She hosted an event to celebrate the launch towards the end of June at her home in Los Angeles, and Joe was not there. She did still have a framed photo of the two of them kissing set up in a room in her home.’
There is no word yet on who will get custody of their beloved dog Bubbles. They both shared social media tributes to the canine on July 10 when he turned 10.
The Modern Family star has also been living it up as she is currently celebrating in Capri, Italy and it remains unclear if Joe is on the trip as he has not been featured in any of her social media posts from the trip.
Sofia and Joe’s last Instagram posts featuring each other were shared last month.
Looking good: Sofia has been living it up during a lavish Italian getaway in Ravello; in this image shared on Mondays he had her ring on
A sign: The split announcement comes just days after Manganiello’s birthday tribute to Vergara came under major scrutiny from fans who labeled it as ‘cold’ leading to many fans to wonder about their relationship status
The comment section of the post was full of concerned fans as one wrote: ‘Something is definitely up. He hasn’t commented on her photos she’s been posted. hmmm…….’
Some fans noted that Joe’s prior birthday tributes to his wife had more substance including last year’s which read: ”¡Feliz Cumpleaños mi amor! I love you so much.’
The couple were first spotted out in public together in July 2014, after going on a few secret dates the month prior.
The 2018 highest paid TV actress confirmed their relationship in August 2014 during an interview to Extra.
‘You know, I’m just having a great time. It’s a special time in my life, and I’m trying not to think too much about it,’ she said.
Hmm: It is interesting to note that Sofia has not commented on the post as they have been married since November 2015
Some fans noted that Joe’s prior birthday tributes to his wife had more substance including last year’s which read: ”¡Feliz Cumpleaños mi amor! I love you so much’
Their wedding made headlines: The two had a big, splashy wedding at the Breakers in Palm Beach, Florida in 2015
The plot thickens: The Modern Family star has also been living it up as she is currently celebrating in Capri, Italy and it remains unclear if Joe is on the trip as he has not been featured in any of her social media posts from the trip
‘It’s something very new, so we will see what happens.’
And it appears as though Sofia was smitten from the get-go, adding: ‘What is there not to approve of?’ when asked if her family were on board with her new man.
December 2014, just six months since they first start dating, Joe proposed to his lady love during a trip to Hawaii on Christmas Eve.
The pair wed in a very extravagant and glamorous ceremony of about 400 people at The Breakers resort in Palm Beach, Florida, in November 2015.
Another sign the two were on the outs came in May when they listed their Beverly Hills love nest for $18m.
It was not the first time they listed the property – they had tried before in July 2022 when they put it on the market for $20m.
Vergara, most commonly known as ‘Gloria’ on Modern Family, originally purchased the house in 2014 for $10.6m before she tied the knot with Manganiello.
The couple has since remodeled the interior with help of interior designer Jennifer Bevan.
The sought-after expert preserved the built-in, Tuscan-villa vibe but updated the style with white walls and black accents.
Off loading: Another sign the two were on the outs came in May when they listed their Beverly Hills love nest for $18m. It was not the first time they listed the property – they had tried before in July 2022 when they put it on the market for $20m
The sprawling 11,000 square foot mansion comes with a 10-seat movie theater, full size gym with sauna and 3,000 bottle wine cellar.
The house, which sits on nearly an acre of land, features a curved staircase and French doors, as well as a gourmet kitchen with luxury Viking appliances,
The primary bedroom includes dual closets and spa-like baths with a fireplace on the balcony. The backyard is secluded and private with high edges, a large inground pool, hot tub and massive lawn. The massive property also comes with wood-and-marble tile floors and soaring coffered ceilings overhead. Next to the mansion is a guesthouse, a sports court and two motor courts with space for four cars.
The villa is co-listed with Barry Peele of Sotheby’s International Realty and Santiago Arana of The Agency.
The estate is located in the highly exclusive and desirable neighborhood of Beverly Park, in the center of Beverly Hills and West Hollywood. The estate is set high in the mountains while still being only minutes to local restaurants. Some of Vergara’s neighbors include celebrities like Denzel Washington, Sylvester Stallone and Eddie Murphy.
Busy bee: Sofia puts in long hours as one of the judges of America’s Got Talent; seen with Simon Cowell
This was not a first marriage for Sofia.
The former model was married to Joe Gonzalez from 1991 until 1993. Though the marriage was brief, it resulted in one child, son Manolo Gonzalez Vergara, who is 31-years-old.
She was also in a longtime relationship with businessman Nick Loeb. The split turned messy as they went to court over their frozen embryos.
As recently as April, he was still at it.
Her ex-fiancé is still fighting in court for the couple’s frozen embryos, only this time he is suing the fertility clinic they used.
Nick previously lost a court battle to win custody of the two frozen embryos that he and Vergara created when they were together in 2013.
The pair split in 2014 and Sofia did not want her ex to be able to bring them to term.
It was a bitter court battle that dragged out for years but eventually in 2021, a judge sided with her and imposed a permanent injunction to stop Loeb from accessing them.
Nick Loeb previously lost a court battle to win custody of the two frozen embryos that he and Vergara created when they were together in 2013. They are shown together in 2014
Now, in a final court effort, Loeb is suing ART Reproductive Center in Beverly Hills, claiming its doctors never made him aware that the embryos would be destroyed, or that Sofia could block him from accessing them, if they split.
It remains unclear whether the embryos remain intact.
Loeb, who describes himself as ‘pro-life’ and pro-parenthood’, is a film director and actor from an impressive background of American dynasty families.
His family tree includes Seagram heirs the Bronfmans, the Lehman family of the now defunct Lehman Brothers bank, and the Loeb family of Loeb, Rhoades & Co.
In court filings, he alleges medical malpractice by ART, despite admitting that he signed a contract which stated what would happen to the embryos in the event of a break-up (he says he signed a second document that contradicted the first).
‘I never would have gone forward with creating what Sofia and I regarded as lives if I knew that she would not consent, or that she wanted to thaw and destroy the embryos, in the event of a breakup,’ he said in the most recent filing.
Loeb is seeking damages from ART to cover his legal fees.
A judge previously ruled that he would not be able to later claim emotional distress damages for not having the children. He and Vergara were together for four years before they called off their engagement in 2014. By then, they had already visited ART and had the embryos frozen. Vergara already had an adult son at the time.
In 2017, three years after their split, she filed legal papers to block Loeb from accessing the embryos. It was a fight that lasted four years, until a judge turned down his final appeal in March 2021.
Joe’s only marriage has been to Sofia.
Before her, he was engaged to Audra Marie from 2010 to 2011. And prior to that, he was in relationships with Bridget Peters (2013 – 2014) and Tenley Dene (2012).
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