Amidst a Divorce and the SAG Strike, Sofia Vergara Opens Up About Her “Very Difficult” 2023

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published 19 November 2023

Sofia Vergara has moved on following her split from ex-husband Joe Manganiello over the summer and is now dating orthopedic surgeon Dr. Justin Saliman—and “things are going great” between the two, Entertainment Tonight reports.

“They like each other a lot, but Sofia is also taking things slow,” a source speaking to the outlet said. “Sofia and Justin have a lot of fun together and Sofia always keeps everyone around her laughing and in positive spirits. Justin likes that she takes pride in keeping her personal life private, that she’s upfront and honest, and that she can be her genuine self with him.”

Vergara’s family and friends “just want her to be happy,” they said. “They have been a good support system and are always uplifting her and reminding her of her own inner strength,” adding that Vergara is “in a healthy space and feeling good about where her personal and professional life both stand.”

As she moves on from Manganiello, “Sofia is striving to be the best person she can be and focused on learning from the past in order to create a better and more fruitful future,” they said. She is “feeling empowered that she can close the previous chapter in her life without any animosity.”

Manganiello has also moved on and is “casually seeing” actress Caitlin O’Connor. “Joe and Sofia have both accepted that they’re moving on and it’s a very mutual feeling,” they said. “They equally wish each other well.”

Vergara told People “I’ve had a very interesting year. I don’t want to say ‘bad’ or anything like that, but it’s been very interesting and very difficult. I went through a divorce this year, the SAG strike that went on for so long. I’ve seen my friends struggle—some had to take their kids out of their schools or had problems with their mortgages, so it’s been a weird, weird year.”

Despite the challenges of 2023, 2024 is on the horizon and there is good to come, an optimistic Vergara told the outlet. “I think all the things are resolving, everything is going to be okay, and I’m very excited for next year,” she said.

Rachel Burchfield is a writer, editor, and podcaster whose primary interests are fashion and beauty, society and culture, and, most especially, the British Royal Family and other royal families around the world. She serves as Marie Claire’s Senior Celebrity and Royals Editor and has also contributed to publications like Allure, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, InStyle, People, Vanity Fair, Vogue, and W, among others. Before taking on her current role with Marie Claire, Rachel served as its Weekend Editor and later Royals Editor. She is the cohost of Podcast Royal, a show that was named a top five royal podcast by The New York Times. A voracious reader and lover of books, Rachel also hosts I’d Rather Be Reading, which spotlights the best current nonfiction books hitting the market and interviews the authors of them. Rachel frequently appears as a media commentator, and she or her work has appeared on outlets like NBC’s Today Show, ABC’s Good Morning America, CNN, and more.