In a recent interview with Men’s Journal, actor Joe Manganiello addressed statements made by his ex-wife, Sofia Vergara, regarding their divorce. Manganiello refuted claims circulating in the press about his desire for a family being the primary cause of their split. “There’s been a lot said in the press about me wanting a family. That’s simply not true,” he asserted.
For context, the “Modern Family” star Sofia Vergara previously discussed her divorce with the Spanish newspaper El Pais earlier this year. “Well, I’m newly divorced from my second husband [actor Joe Manganiello], who I was with for 10 years. 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 revealed.
Manganiello, providing his perspective, shared that the couple had indeed tried to start a family during the initial stage of their marriage. “We 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. I said, if you’re done with kids, then I understand. Just tell me, and I’ll know what this is, and that’s okay. But that wasn’t the case with her,” he explained.
He emphasized his commitment to Vergara despite the challenges they faced. “I swore to her that I would never leave if it didn’t work out. And I didn’t,” Manganiello stated. He further clarified that the end of their marriage was not solely due to differing views on having children. “It wasn’t inevitably why everything ended. It’s because two people grew apart, and sometimes that happens.”
Addressing rumors of a midlife crisis and ultimatums, the “True Blood” star stated, “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 were married for seven years, tying the knot in Palm Beach, Florida, in November 2015. Last year, they announced their separation in a statement to Page Six, saying, “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.”
