Sofia Vergara, the beloved judge on America’s Got Talent, recently found herself at the center of a joke made by Howie Mandel. During a lie-detector test on the show, Mandel playfully asked Vergara if there was anyone in the audience that she’s interested in. This question was a reference to the fact that she is now single for the first time in nearly a decade.
Unfortunately, Vergara chose not to answer the question and simply walked back to her seat, leaving the audience and Mandel disappointed. This incident sparked some online backlash towards Mandel, especially since it wasn’t the first time he had made a joke about Vergara’s singleness.
Just a few weeks prior, Mandel made a similar joke when a young contestant on the show was searching for an eligible bachelor for her puppet. Mandel playfully suggested that she should have approached Sofia, given that she is currently single and available. While Vergara seemed to laugh at the joke, her online fans did not take it well.
In response to the backlash, Mandel defended himself in an interview with Extra. He stated that he didn’t think the joke was “too soon” and mentioned that Vergara herself found it amusing. Mandel emphasized that he would never do anything to hurt a friend and fellow co-worker.
On July 17, Sofia Vergara and Joe Manganiello announced their separation after being married for seven years. Just two days later, Joe filed for divorce, citing “irreconcilable differences,” a common reason given by many celebrities. While the details of their divorce remain private, the couple released a joint statement expressing that it was a mutual decision.
“We have made the difficult decision to divorce,” they stated on July 17, revealing that the separation date was July 2. They also requested privacy during this transition phase in their lives.
There have been reports that the couple had a prenuptial agreement in place. Speculation suggests that Joe wanted a divorce because Vergara did not want to have children. Despite their love for each other, conflicting desires regarding starting a family caused a rift between them.
Sofia Vergara, who already has one child from a previous relationship, recently celebrated her 51st birthday shortly before the announcement of their separation.
