Joe Manganiello says his divorce from Sofía Vergara was not about him wanting kids

Joe Manganiello gave his perspective on his divorce from Sofía Vergara, saying that his wanting kids wasn't the real reason for their split in 2023 after seven years of marriage.

The True Blood actor opened up about his former relationship in a new feature with Men's Journal, published on Tuesday, July 16. He said in the interview:

"There's been a lot said in the press about me wanting a family... That's simply not true."

Manganiello also recalled his previous conversation with his ex-wife early in their relationship. He said that he told Sofía Vergara that he understood if she didn't want to have kids anymore, but "that wasn't the case." He noted:

"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."

Joe Manganiello and Sofía Vergara (Image via Amy Sussman/Getty Images)

While he admitted that he wanted kids, it wasn't the reason why the two decided to end their marriage. Talking about what brought on the divorce, he said:

"It's because two people grew apart, and sometimes that happens."

Joe Manganiello's comment about the end of his relationship with Sofía Vergara came after the Modern Family star previously said that the reason for their split was because they have opposing views about bringing children into their marriage. She told El Pais on January 16, 2024:

"My marriage broke up because my husband was younger; he wanted to have kids and I didn't want to be an old mom."

She said the same during her May interview with People, elaborating that she didn't feel like bringing a kid in, with her career and lifestyle, was fair.

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Joe Manganiello has a "good partner' in new girlfriend

A year after they announced their split, both Joe Manganiello and Sofía Vergara have moved on and are in new relationships. Vergara is currently dating orthopedic surgeon Justin Saliman, whom she called a "handsome doctor,". As for Manganiello, he's in a new relationship with actress Caitlin O'Connor.

During the interview, the Magic Mike actor addressed his new relationship and girlfriend with a short comment, saying:

"When you have a bad day, hopefully you have a good partner in life."

The couple, who started dating in September last year, made their relationship red carpet official in December during the 2023 Children of Armenia Fund Gala held at Cipriani in New York. They are now Instagram official, and the actor has been candid about sharing snippets of their relationship on social media.

He recently shared a photo of them at Disney World for a 4th of July celebration and several days later, a day out at Universal Studios Orlando with his " serious Harry Potter super fans" family.