'That’s never who I was': Joe Manganiello denies Sofia Vergara divorce was due to 'ultimatum' about having children

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Renowned actor Joe Manganiello has denied his ex-wife Sofia Vergara's claims that their disagreement over having children was the reason for their divorce after seven years of marriage.

The couple first met in May 2014 when Sofia was engaged to another man. By June, however, the now-single Sofia began dating Manganiello. After six months of dating, Manganiello proposed to Vergara on Christmas Eve in 2014, and the couple married on November 21, 2015, in a glamorous ceremony in Palm Beach.

Joe Manganiello breaks silence on ex-wife Sofia Vergara's claims about their divorce

In an interview with Men's Journal published on July 16, Manganiello addressed Vergara's claims about their divorce, stating her remarks were "simply not true."

He explained, "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."

He added, "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. And I swore to her that I would never leave if it didn't work out. And I didn't."

While Manganiello did want to have children, he said their disagreement "wasn't inevitably why everything ended," as per People.

He expressed his frustration over losing his public image because of Vergara's claims, saying, "It's because two people grew apart, and sometimes that happens. 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," he added.

Joe Manganiello's fans ask him to 'move' after his divorce from Sofia Vergara

Manganiello's comments about his divorce from Vergara sparked mixed reactions online. Some internet users suggested the actor should move on, while others mocked him for hiding the real reason behind their split.

One user praised Manganiello, "Well that's super classy of him." The other advised, "Oh well move on dude let it go." The third expressed, "Probably should’ve talked about having children before the marriage" 

The fourth user shared a GIF saying, "You gotta let it go." One user explained, "He's a homebody and nerdy and she's the opposite. There. That's it. Didn't work out."  "They are being polite. They just don't want people to know the real reason." one user mocked. Another user wrote, "Never marry your fantasy"

What did Sofia Vergara say about the marital woes with Joe Manganiello?

In July 2023, Vergara and Manganiello released a joint statement announcing their “difficult decision” to divorce after seven years of marriage. Two days later, Manganiello filed for divorce, citing "irreconcilable differences" and listing the date of separation as July 2.

Vergara emphasized the importance of motherhood, noting that women can become pregnant at 50. She mentioned that if science claims menopause begins at 50, there must be a reason why nature has set this period.

She also stated that she respects other women who want to become mothers after 50. Vergara concluded by saying, "My marriage broke up because my husband was younger; he wanted to have kids and I didn’t want to be an old mom. I didn’t think because of my career, the way I live my life, the way my marriage was, that it was fair to bring a kid to this world, and I’m not going to be able to give 100 per cent."

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