Sofia Vergara walks off stage during 'America's Got Talent' after co-judge Howie Mandel pokes fun at her 'single status'
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Sofia Vergara wasn’t in the mood for another joke! The Columbian native apparently walked off stage after Howie Mandel poked fun at her new single status.
The ‘Modern Family’ star recently separated from her ex-husband Joe Manganiello as the former couple ended their eight years marriage.
What triggered Sofia to walk off stage?
Mandel commented when Vergara was taking a lie detector test as she sat on a throne made of tater tots. The 67-year-old playfully asked if she was ‘interested in’ anyone in the audience.
The 51-year-old then declared, "That's it!" and stormed off the stage and returned with a laugh to her judges' seat.
Mandel has joked about Sofia’s relationship status quite a few times in the recent past.
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During the first 'AGT' season 18 live show, he said, "If you're looking for eligible bachelors, you should've talked to Sofía because she's in the market right now."
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Mandel continues to poke fun at Vergara despite recent backlash
The judge also received backlash on social media and he clarified that he didn’t aim to set her up. "I think everybody watching who is available believes they’re the perfect match for Sofía," he explained to Extra then.
"I don’t think, Sofia, to be honest… she doesn’t need my help. She really doesn't." At other time, the Mandel said "You love relationship comedy, don't you? Too soon?," he continued.
This came after comedian Orlando Leyba performed an act featuring tales from his married life.
It was on July 16 when Vergara and Manganiello broke the news of their split. “We have made the difficult decision to divorce,” they said in a statement to Page Six.
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“As two people that love and care for one another very much, we politely ask for respect for our privacy at this time as we navigate this new phase of our lives," they added.
A close source to the former couple claimed, "They have been growing apart for some time now and tried to resolve things, but they are focused on different areas of their lives."
"They definitely love and respect each other, but once that initial passion dies down and other areas get in the way, then little differences get bigger," the source continued, as per People.
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Another insider said, "Of course, the fact that Sofia is not sober had an impact on their marriage.”
The insider added, “He was warned about this when he started dating her and again before marrying her. He did not think that he was going to change her but he also didn’t think about the implications this could have on their marriage.”
