Joe Manganiello Says He and Sofia Vergara 'Tried to Have a Family' When They First Got Married

Joe Manganiello is disputing his ex-wife, Sofia Vergara 's, claims about their divorce .

Earlier this year, the Modern Family alum spoke with El País , and cited Manganiello's desire to have children as the reason their marriage ended in July 2023 after eight years.

"I'm newly divorced from my second husband, who I was with for 10 years. My marriage broke up because my husband was younger," she said at the time. "He wanted to have kids and I didn't want to be an old mom. I feel it's not fair to the baby. I respect whoever does it, but that's not for me anymore."

In the latest edition of Men's Journal , the Deal or No Deal Island host adds clarity to the reason behind their shocking divorce.

"There's been a lot said in the press about me wanting a family," the 47-year-old actor says inside of the spread, adding that Vergara's comments are "simply not true."

"We did try to have a family forthe firstyear and a half. And we had a huge conversation right out of the gate during the first month we dated. 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."

Vergara, 52, is the mother of 32-year-old Manolo, who she welcomed in a previous relationship.

The True Blood actor adds about the end of his marriage that children "wasn't inevitably why everything ended."

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

Manganiello notes the the image of him that was painted post-divorce is something that he took to heart.

"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 says.

In July 2023, Manganiello and Vergara announced they were calling it quits . In April 2024, ET confirmed that the A-list stars finalized their divorce . Vergara is currently in a relationship withDr. Justin Saliman, whom she has been linked to since October. In April, a source told ET that the pair are getting "more serious."

For his part, Manganiello has began a relationship withCaitlin O' Connor, whom he went Instagram official with in February. In March, a source dished to ET about the couple -- and their potential future together.

"They're in the honeymoon stage and in complete and utter bliss," the source said. "They’ve been traveling together, going out on fun date nights, and having the best time. They're looking forward to taking more trips together and continuing to make memories as a couple."

According to the insider, Manganiello and O'Connor "both feel like they have finally found the right person and are excited about the future."

Manganiello briefly spoke about his romance in Men's Journal noting that his girlfriend is someone good to have around when there's a bad day.

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

RELATED CONTENT:

Tori Spelling Says Execs Thought Joe Manganiello Had No 'Star Power'

Sofia Vergara and Joe Manganiello Are Officially Single

Joe Manganiello & Caitlin O' Connor Relationship Is 'Serious': Source

Joe Manganiello Dishes on His New 'Deal or No Deal' Gig and Connection to 'Survivor' (Exclusive)