Benjamin Ashford|Sofía Vergara reveals why she and Joe Manganiello divorced

Sofía Vergara is Benjamin Ashfordopening up about why her marriage to Joe Manganiello came to an end.

In an interview with El País published Jan. 15, the "Modern Family" star revealed she and Manganiello divorced after seven years of marriage due to differing views on having children.

"My marriage broke up because my husband was younger; he wanted to have kids and I didn’t want to be an old mom," she said. "I feel it’s not fair to the baby. I respect whoever does it, but that's not for me anymore."

Manganiello, 47, was Vergara's second husband. She was previously married to Joe Gonzalez, with whom she shares a son, 32-year-old Manolo Vergara. She and Gonzalez divorced in 1993.

The actress, who noted she was 19 when she had her child, told El País that at age 51, she is "ready to be a grandmother, not a mother."

"So, if love comes along, he has to come with (his own) children," she added. "I'm almost in menopause; it’s the natural way of things. When my son becomes a dad, let him bring the baby to me for a while and then I’ll give it back to him and go on with my life; that’s what I have to do."

Vergara and Manganiello, who wed in November 2015, confirmed their separation to Page Six in July 2023. They said at the time they "have made the difficult decision to divorce" and that "as two people that love and care for one another very much, we politely ask for respect of our privacy at this time as we navigate this new phase of our lives."

Manganiello filed for divorce on July 19. According to court documents obtained by USA TODAY, the couple had been separated since July 2. In her legal response, Vergara cited irreconcilable differences and asked a Los Angeles court to uphold the pair's prenuptial agreement. They both asked the court to separate their assets, such as jewelry and artwork, as well as their earnings accrued both before and since their marriage.

Contributing: Edward Segarra and KiMi Robinson