Sofia Vergara, the beloved judge on America’s Got Talent, found herself at the center of controversy when Howie Mandel made a joke about her personal life. During a lie-detector test segment on the show, Mandel asked Vergara if there was anyone in the audience she was interested in. This question referred to the fact that she recently became single after nearly a decade.
Disappointingly, Sofia Vergara chose not to answer the question and simply walked back to her seat, leaving the audience and Mandel disappointed. This incident sparked online backlash towards Mandel, especially since it was not the first time he had made a joke about Vergara’s singleness.
A few weeks prior, Mandel made a similar joke when a young contestant on the show was talking about finding an eligible bachelor for her puppet. Mandel suggested that she should have consulted Sofia, as she is currently single and available. While Vergara seemed to chuckle at the remark, her online fans did not take it well.
In response to the backlash, Mandel defended himself in an interview with Extra. He expressed that he didn’t think the joke was “too soon” and mentioned that Vergara herself found it funny. Mandel emphasized that he would never do anything to harm a friend and fellow co-worker.
The End of Sofia Vergara and Joe Manganiello’s 7-Year Marriage
On July 17, Sofia Vergara and Joe Manganiello announced their separation, just two days before Joe filed for divorce. Citing “irreconcilable differences,” as is often seen in celebrity divorces, the couple’s divorce details remain private. However, they released a joint statement stating that the decision was mutual and requested privacy during this transitional phase of their lives.
Reports suggest that the couple had a prenuptial agreement in place, and speculation has arisen that Joe wanted a divorce due to Sofia’s disinterest in having children. The couple first met in 2014 and tied the knot in 2015, but conflicting desires regarding starting a family seemed to have caused a rift between them.
Sofia Vergara, who already has a child from a previous relationship, celebrated her 51st birthday shortly before the news of their separation was made public.
