In the wake of his public divorce from Sofia Vergara, Joe Manganiello’s dating life has been the subject of much speculation and curiosity. He is currently in a relationship with One Tree Hill alum Caitlin O'Connor, and it seems to be going well. The True Blood actor sparked even more interest in his personal life when he recently opened up about still having dreams of becoming a father, and revealed it is something at the forefront of his mind as he pursues other relationships after his divorce.
Manganiello was a guest on the podcast Popcrushed, which is hosted by You star Penn Badgley, as well as Nava Kavelin and Sophie Ansari. He opened up about his life growing up, and initial struggles when he first became an actor. He also got comfortable enough to chat about his desires within his personal life, and he wants to have kids after being a strong presence in the lives of his nieces and nephews. He said:
It's something that's definitely on the docket, you know, at some point. For sure. That was never not on the table. At every stage in life that was always something that was always talked about. That was always on the forefront. Any serious relationship that I got into… [it was] one of the first conversations to have.
This statement caught wind, especially considering the idea of having children was rumored to be a point of tension that led to the divorce between him and Vergara. The Modern Family star was married before Manganiello, and had her son when she was still a teenager. Allegedly, Vergara didn’t want to continue having children within her marriage to Manganiello, while the Magic Mike actor had a desire to be a father. If this was the sole reason for their split is unconfirmed, but this statement by Manganiello continued to fuel rumors surrounding their divorce.
Both actors have since moved on from their split, so whatever their individual desires were within their marriage, they are now able to explore with other people. Vergara is also dating, and is currently with orthopedic surgeon Justin Saliman, who she was first linked to in October 2023. The actress posted a photo of the two of them vacationing in Italy, and seems happy and in love again. The decision to divorce is never an easy one, but both stars seem to be content as they individually look for new love.
As for Manganiello, he seems to not only be pursuing love, but also fatherhood. The 47-year-old actor is navigating a new chapter of his life, and is also seemingly making his intentions very clear. We don’t know if his relationship with O’Connor is at the “starting a family” stage just yet, but this is vocally where Manganiello is hoping it’s going. He said he feels like he has “a lot to give” in that area, and hopefully, he has the opportunity to explore this as he explores new paths to happiness in his life.
You can see Joe Manganiello in his upcoming film Nonnas, which he is set to star in alongside Vince Vaughn and will be released in the near future. Fans can also see the actor hosting the game show Deal or No Deal Island, which is currently streaming with a Peacock subscription. For more information on other projects starring the Rampage actor, make sure to check out our feature on other films and TV shows starring Manganiello.
