Howie Mandel has reassured that Sofia Vergara was not offended by his on-air joke about her divorce from Joe Manganiello. Reports suggested that she stormed away from a segment on ‘America’s Got Talent’. During Wednesday’s episode, the actress was participating in a lie detector test and discussing her fellow judges and her time on ‘Modern Family’. When Howie asked if she was interested in anyone in the audience, she abruptly ended the segment, according to Entertainment Tonight. However, Howie has now stated to DailyMail.com that Sofia has a good sense of humor about it and is always the first one to laugh. He further expresses that he wouldn’t have made the joke if he thought it would offend her in any way.
Howie also praises Sofia’s humor and intelligence, calling her one of the funniest people he has met. He acknowledges that there has been some online backlash for his remarks about Sofia’s circumstances, but he stands by his statement that she is not offended. Howie reveals that he knows her well and states, “I’m not defending myself. I’m just telling you who she is.”
In August, Howie first joked about Sofia’s single status while critiquing a ventriloquist. Sofia laughed it off, but host Terry Crews quickly shut down the joke. The following week, when a contestant called her “Sofía Viagra” during a stand-up comedy set, Sofia playfully responded, “I’m single!”
Sofia and Joe confirmed their divorce in July after seven years of marriage. They released a joint statement asking for respect and privacy during this new phase of their lives. Sofia has a son from a previous relationship and was engaged to Nick Loeb before marrying Joe.