Sofia Vergara, accused by her ex of abandoning him emotionally during his seven years of illness

BarcelonaThere are few Latin American women more famous than Sofía Vergara. The 54-year-old Colombian actress is today on the Olympus of Latin American fame on a global scale. So much so that she can only be compared to JLo, Shakira and, in a way, Salma Hayek. It is for this reason that any mention made of her is susceptible to becoming a press headline eager to be clicked in Latin America, the United States or Europe.

Joe Manganiello, 47, knew this very well, having been married to the Colombian for seven years and having lived by her side through the rise of her popularity as a celebrity; Vergara is known everywhere thanks to her long participation in the series Modern family in the role of Gloria Delgado-Pritchett for 11 consecutive seasons. A total professional success that turned her during that time into the highest-paid actress on American television and which, subsequently, served her to end up in an equally visible place: being a judge on America's got talent.

Manganiello has just published an autobiography that has shaken the celebrity scene with the headlines he has included in his book regarding Vergara, from whom he separated in 2023. The main one has been related to the autoimmune disease he suffered and how she supposedly treated him during that process, which he says began shortly after they married, in 2015. In Bloodlines, the actor maintains that his illness left the relationship "devoid of any kind of emotion" to the point that she refused to hug him even when he asked her to. He also claims that Vergara made fun of Bubbles, the chihuahua he adopted in 2019, during one of the most difficult stages of his illness. As he explained in an interview with People, the dog arrived in the family to change his situation and help him go from "patient to caregiver".

A long illness

The American actor also gives details about the illness, to which he does not give a name, but of which he does explain the effects it caused him. As he reveals, it all started with abdominal pain so intense that he could not walk. To this were added fever, rashes, headache, fatigue, and even rectal bleeding. During the following seven years, he lost nearly 30 kilos while undergoing all kinds of tests. Despite everything, his condition kept worsening until in 2016 he had to undergo surgery in which a part of his digestive system was removed, which forced him to have to use an ostomy bag.

The pain caused by the illness also affected his sobriety. The actor, who had been addicted to alcohol before turning thirty and had managed to overcome it, received all kinds of pain medication. After more than thirteen years without consuming, he says that to be able to endure the illness he had to resort to hydrocodone, fentanyl patches, and marijuana. "I didn't feel like I deserved to say I was sober, but I had to prioritize the pain and the illness," he asserts about those very serious moments. In fact, he even states that his situation became so unsustainable for him that he even considered suicide, which forced him to get rid of his firearm because he was afraid of himself.

The cause of the breakup

He also offered other headlines about his ex-partner. Especially because he says that during these years many things have been said and written about it that were not true and that he did not feel up to refuting at that time. The most awaited lines were about the reason for their breakup, a matter on which she had indeed spoken. Manganiello denies Vergara's version. A year after separating, the actress said that the age difference –of five years– had influenced the breakup. She said then that he wanted to have children and she –who already had a son– did not, because she did not want to be a mother "at an old age" because she considered it unfair to the child.

According to the actor's version, what really happened was that, after several failed attempts at in vitro fertilization, the couple began to consider the possibility of using a donor's eggs, but then his illness arrived and that made him rethink everything. He admits that he was afraid of dying and leaving Vergara with a child "that was not biologically his," in his own words.

Tacit response?

Obviously, the actress—well-known in Spain for having embarrassed Pablo Motos on his own show—has not bitten her tongue in the face of this avalanche of statements. However, she has not entered into a head-to-head confrontation, which is perhaps what he would have preferred to sell more books and to revive his fame, which is limited to his role in True blood –a series that ended in 2012– and the Magic Mike stripper movie saga –the last one in 2025–. Coinciding with the release of her ex-partner's book, Vergara has reposted on Instagram an image that her son, Manolo, had posted, in which he criticized narcissists. Manipulating, blaming others, lying, playing the victim, making excuses, acting like Peter Pan, or having a constant need to feel superior are some of the traits of the narcissist that this post listed. It's a good thing they didn't have any children...