Tattoos can be tricky business when it comes to honoring a significant other, especially if that relationship comes to an end. Pete Davidson, for example, had some work to do in getting some ink removed after his breakup with Kim Kardashian, and it’s something we’ve seen over and over again amongst celebrities. However, Sofía Vergara is proving that sometimes you don’t have to go through all the trouble of removing or altering your body art, as she revealed how the tattoo she got for her now-ex-husband Joe Manganiello has taken on a new meaning.
Sofía Vergara and Joe Manganiello announced last summer that they were divorcing after seven years of marriage. The America’s Got Talent host has had to deal with the split publicly, even taking playful shots from her fellow AGT judges! It doesn’t seem to be a topic she has a problem talking about, though, and she gave a very candid answer when discussing her tattoos on a segment of The Talk. She showed off the two small initials she sports — one on each wrist — explaining that one was for her brother who died, and as for the other …
This was Joe Manganiello’s initial, but now he’s gone. So, now my new…
At that point, Sofía Vergara was forced to stop talking because everyone in the studio was in absolute fits. The matter-of-fact way she referred to the Magic Mike actor as being “gone” caught the hosts and the audience off-guard, and things only got louder when she finished her sentence, revealing what the ink means to her now. Vergara continued:
The guy that I’m going out [with] has the same initial!
Sofía Vergara’s son Manolo, who appeared on the CBS talk show with her, put his head in his hands as his mom and the hosts laughed at the tattoo being a “recycle,” and you really have to respect the positive spin on the situation.
For the record, Sofía Vergara is currently dating Justin Saliman (note the first initial J), who she was seen out with following her solo red carpet appearance for Griselda in February. The Modern Family alum was actually first spotted with the orthopedic surgeon back in October 2023, per Page Six, so it seems both halves of the former couple have happily moved on, as Joe Manganiello has reportedly started seeing Caitlin O’Connor.
Despite the fact that it could never be easy to end a seven-year marriage, Sofía Vergara has maintained an outwardly positive attitude throughout the split. In the months after the breakup, she reflected on how “lucky” she was to be having so much fun post-divorce, going to concerts and vacationing with friends. She said the past year has been interesting with a lot of changes, and that in life, both bad things and good things happen.
She really embodied that c’est la vie attitude in the easy way she was able to take her “J” tattoo that she got for Joe Manganiello and repurpose it to honor boyfriend Justin Saliman. If you want to see more of Sofía Vergara, America’s Got Talent has kicked off its 19th season, which introduces a second Golden Buzzer. As for how the judges feel about the change, Vergara was apprehensive at first, but has come around to think it’s a “great idea.” Catch new episodes at 8 p.m. ET Tuesdays on NBC.