How Joe Manganiello's Movie Career May Have Impacted His Split From Modern Family’s Sofia Vergara

Sofia Vergara and Joe Manganiello in Old Spice Commercial
(Image credit: Old Spice)

As America’s Got Talent is in the midst of airing its batch of pre-recorded audition episodes, with the latest installment bringing Heidi Klum and Sofia Vergara to tears, the latter is now known to be heading for a divorce from her husband of seven years, Joe Manganiello. The pair released a shared statement noting the split, with the Magic Mike franchise vet officially filing for divorce days later. Several rumors have floated around in the time since, with many pointing to the notion that Vergara was the more unsatisfied of the two, and a new report singles in on the idea that she didn’t feel supported, with her expectations about their future dashed by his career moves. 

Joe Manganiello offered up the reason of “irreconcilable differences” when filling out divorce paperwork, and some of the reported differences have been broached by sources allegedly close to the celebs. According to PageSix, the couple's relationship soured in ways due to Vergara allegedly feeling "stifled" by someone she considered to be a "largely unsupportive partner" in Manganiello. As well, it's claimed that the narrowing of his career path over the years was another factor, with one insider saying:

Sofía was always there to take care of Joe, while his career was never what it was when they met. I think he’s been threatened by her success and joie de vivre.

Ahead of their marriage, Manganiello was riding high from a popular run on HBO's True Blood on top of the two (at the time) Magic Mike films, and was forever attached to Deathstroke rumors regarding DC's live-action films. He's certainly been a part of some wins during their years together, from Rampage to Jay and Silent Bob Reboot to a bunch of TV cameos in shows like Big Bang Theory and Star Wars Resistance. But Big Dick Richie's return didn't help save 2023's Magic Mike's Last Dance from meh reactions, and the actor's latest TV-starring gig — the sci-fi thriller series Moonhaven — was cancelled by AMC+ after the service had already renewed it for Season 2 several months prior.

Neither of those instances can be blamed on Manganiello, of course, but his filmography is also littered with projects heavily tied to role-playing games, such as Critial Role, the video game Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance, CelebriD&D and more. The actor's penchant for having celeb-infused game nights, combined with his alleged preference to stay around the house, was previously noted as being a cause of strife between him and Vergara, with the Modern Family vet being far more eager to go out on the town and on vacations regularly. 

Case in point: she was in the middle of an Italian vacation, complete with a snazzy blue swimsuit, when the divorce news went public, as seen in the post below.

Several rumors have centered on the idea that Manganiello's desire to have children, which clashed with Vergara's lack of interest, also played into their relationship breaking down. Family friends reportedly expect him to next aim for a younger partner who may be more willing to engage in child-rearing. 

On the flip side, another rumor circulating pointed to the sober actor taking issue with Sofia Vergara's non-sober living, but that rumor is reportedly all fluff according to Page Six. Those close to the couple claim that his sobriety and thoughts about substance abuse did not extend in a judgmental way when it comes to Vergara's social drinking. 

Fans can watch Vergara behind the America’s Got Talent table every Tuesday night on NBC at 8:00 p.m. ET, with episodes available to stream the next day with a Hulu subscription, which also provides access to all eleven seasons of Modern Family.

Nick Venable
Assistant Managing Editor

Nick is a Cajun Country native and an Assistant Managing Editor with a focus on TV and features. His humble origin story with CinemaBlend began all the way back in the pre-streaming era, circa 2009, as a freelancing DVD reviewer and TV recapper.  Nick leapfrogged over to the small screen to cover more and more television news and interviews, eventually taking over the section for the current era and covering topics like Yellowstone, The Walking Dead and horror. Born in Louisiana and currently living in Texas — Who Dat Nation over America’s Team all day, all night — Nick spent several years in the hospitality industry, and also worked as a 911 operator. If you ever happened to hear his music or read his comics/short stories, you have his sympathy.