Sofía Vergara looked lucky in love with boyfriend Justin Saliman during a romantic outing.
The couple were all smiles while leaving Catch steakhouse in West Hollywood on Thursday, March 21. Vergara, 51, rocked a turquoise silk jumpsuit while Saliman opted for a leather jacket over a navy shirt, which he paired with black jeans.
Saliman stayed close to Vergara as they got into a car together. The orthopedic surgeon is Vergara’s first public relationship since she called it quits with Joe Manganiello. Us Weekly confirmed in July 2023 that Manganiello filed to end their marriage after seven years.
“We have made the difficult decision to divorce,” they said in a joint statement, days before the actor officially filed the paperwork. “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.”
A source later told Us that Vergara and Manganiello, 47, were no longer “on the same page” about their relationship. “She would rather go out with friends and he would rather stay home, so they wouldn’t spend a lot of time together,” the insider explained. “They’ve been living separate lives for about a year now, so it was time to call things off.”
Manganiello has since moved on with Caitlin O’Connor, and the couple made their red carpet debut in December 2023. Vergara, for her part, has been linked to Saliman since October 2023.
Earlier this year, Vergara candidly addressed what caused her and Manganiello to part ways.
“Well, I’m newly divorced from my second husband, who I was with for 10 years. My marriage broke up because my husband was younger,” she revealed to Spanish newspaper El País in January. “He wanted to have kids, and I didn’t want to be an old mom.”
Vergara said she didn’t want more children, while Manganiello was interested in parenthood. (The actress welcomed son Manolo in 1991 with then-husband Joe Gonzalez. The former couple called it quits two years later.)
“I feel it’s not fair to the baby. I respect whoever does it, but that’s not for me anymore,” she continued. “I had a son at 19, who is now 32, and I’m ready to be a grandmother, not a mother.”
Vergara went on to say she was optimistic about the future, adding, “So, if love comes along, he has to come with [his own] children. 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.”
That same month, Vergara explained why she didn’t mind being asked about her high-profile divorce.
“You’re out there and people know that’s part of being a celebrity,” Vergara said on CBS Sunday Morning. “I knew it was gonna happen. You can’t hide those things.”
She concluded: ”I have to say the press was very respectful and very nice. … They kind of just said what it was and, and that was it. And, you know, I’ve been moving on.”