Joe Manganiello And Caitlin O’Connor Apparently Had To “Navigate” The “Kid Conversation” After Sofía Vergara’s Comments Made It Seem Like He Was Having A “Midlife Crisis”

We’ve got some new reports on Joe Manganiello’s reaction to Sofía Vergara’s comments about their divorce.

Joe Manganiello with short hair and a beard, wearing a coat and sunglasses around his neck, at an outdoor event
Al Pereira / Getty Images

If you missed it, Joe recently refuted Sofía’s claims that they divorced last year because she didn’t want to have children.

Joe Manganiello in a tuxedo and Sofia Vergara in a sparkling, embellished gown at a celebrity event
Cindy Ord / Getty Images for Vanity Fair

Sofía and Joe were married for seven years. Several months after Joe filed for divorce last July, Sofía confirmed reports that they split because “she wasn’t interested” in having a baby with him.

Joe Manganiello in a tuxedo and Sofia Vergara in an elegant strapless gown pose together on a red carpet
Rich Fury / Getty Images for Vanity Fair

Speaking to Spanish newspaper El País in January, the Modern Family star — who already has a 32-year-old son — said: “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’m ready to be a grandmother, not a mother.”

Sofia Vergara poses on the red carpet in a strapless, form-fitting gown

While Sofía was publicly saying these things, Joe remained silent. However, he finally addressed her comments in an interview with Men’s Journal this week, where he said his ex’s narrative about the split was “simply not true.”

Joe Manganiello at the 6th Critics' Choice Real TV Awards, wearing a formal dark suit and tie, standing against a blue branded backdrop
Emma Mcintyre / Getty Images

Weighing in on all that had been published “in the press about [him] wanting a family,” Joe revealed that he and Sofía established that they both wanted kids at the start of their relationship but said it wouldn’t be a deal-breaker if they weren’t able to.

Sofía Vergara sits on a pink chair during an event, holding a microphone. She is wearing a stylish floral ensemble, with long, wavy hair and a vivid backdrop behind her

At 47, Joe is five years younger than Sofía. Two months after filing for divorce, he was rumored to be dating actor, Caitlin O’Connor, who is about 13 years his junior.

Unidentified man and woman posing together at the "3 Body Problem" premiere event, both in casual attire. Other attendees are visible in the background
Jeff Kravitz / Getty Images for Netflix

We don’t know much about their relationship at this point. However, a source recently told People that all the reporting about Joe’s desire to have kids meant that he and Caitlin were rushed into having conversations about starting a family.

“Joe and Caitlin have a good partnership,” an insider said of the couple, who were first linked in September last year. “The ‘kids conversation’ has been something that Joe and Caitlin have both had to navigate now because of Sofía’s statements, which make it seem like Joe is only in the relationship to have kids and that he is with Caitlin because she’s of ‘child-bearing years.’”Of the assumption that Joe is dating someone younger purely to start a family with them, the insider said Caitlin “would not enter that kind of relationship.”

BuzzFeed has reached out to Joe’s representatives for comment. You can find the full People report here.

ADVERTISEMENT

More on this