Joe Manganiello has reportedly found a new romance amid his divorce from his estranged wife, Sofía Vergara.
According to People, the 46-year-old actor is “casually seeing” Winning Time actress Caitlin O’Connor.
A source tells the outlet that the Magic Mike star first met the 33-year-old at a small, “unofficial” after-party for the HBO drama, where they connected in a hot tub.
“They were talking the whole time,” the source says of the pair’s first meeting. They add that O’Connor and Manganiello are now “casually seeing each other at this point,” noting that O’Connor “is a lovely girl” and Manganiello “seemed like a great guy.”
O’Connor, a Los Angeles-born actress and TV host — who grew up in Uniontown, Pennsylvania, before returning to L.A. to attend UCLA as an English major — is best known for her work as an entertainment reporter, as well as for small roles on numerous shows including Two and a Half Men, Ballers, and Days of Our Lives.
Not long after their reported meeting, the budding couple was spotted exiting Gold’s Gym in Venice, California. Manganiello — rocking shorts and a white tank top from his own streetwear line, Death Saves — chatted with a cheerful O’Connor, who looked fit and sporty in a blue athletic top and black leggings. O’Connor was all smiles as they strolled to Manganiello’s Cadillac SUV, where she jumped into the passenger seat and the pair drove off.
As ET previously reported, Manganiello filed for divorce from Vergara, 51, in July after seven years of marriage.
According to Manganiello’s divorce petition, filed in July, Manganiello and Vergara signed a prenuptial agreement that stipulates that they each keep any assets that were accumulated during their time together. The docs also state their date of separation as July 2, 2023.
Last month, Vergara and Manganiello gave a joint statement to Page Six, confirming their split, saying, “We have made the difficult decision to divorce. 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.”
Meanwhile, a source told ET that “Sofia and Joe have been living separate lives.”
“They have been spending time apart and focusing on themselves, their careers, and their loved ones,” the source shared. “Sofia has been giving her all to her new beauty brand, toty, and is very involved and excited about it. She hosted an event to celebrate the launch towards the end of June at her home in Los Angeles, and Joe was not there. She did still have a framed photo of the two of them kissing set up in a room in her home.”
Vergara and Manganiello’s relationship began in 2014 after her engagement to businessman Nick Loeb ended.
Shortly thereafter, the True Blood actor got Vergara’s phone number from her Modern Family co-star, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, and flew to New Orleans to take her out on a date. They went on to get engaged after six months together. Vergara and Manganiello officially became husband and wife on November 22, 2015.
Both Manganiello and Vergara have been spotted hanging out with friends and hitting up concerts in the weeks following their split.
Speaking to ET on the red carpet of America’s Got Talent‘s fifth live qualifying round, the judge opened up about the highs and lows of her past year.
“It’s been very interesting, you know. It’s been an interesting year for me,” Vergara told ET. “A lot of changes, a lot of good and craziness and bad things happen and good things happen. You know, what makes life so entertaining and interesting.”
Vergara added of the rollercoaster year, “I can’t complain. I’ve had a great, great time. There’s always time for more good stuff coming.”
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