Actor Sofía Vergara explained how her tattoo of the letter "J" that was a nod to ex-husband Joe Manganiello was "recycled" after her son Manolo put her on the spot about it.
The Modern Family star and Manolo, whose father is Vergara's first husband, Joe Gonzalez, were guests on the May 31 episode of The Talk when the topic of her son's 34 tattoos came up.
When Vergara, 51, seemed to take issue with her son's body being covered in ink, he argued that his tattoos were like "a journal" of his life.
"Stop it," Vergara bemoaned and told the studio audience:
"I gave him this beautiful … Latin dark skin and now you can't see anything."
"You can't see it," she continued, slightly peeved. "It's just these little things there."
Manolo countered:
"She has two tattoos herself."
Vergara defended herself by explaining that the "R" tattoo on her left wrist honored her late older brother Rafael and a tiny "J" on her other wrist was a nod to Joe Manganiello.
She and Manganiello, who is known for appearing in Max's True Blood playing werewolf Alcide Herveaux, were married for seven years until he filed for divorce in 2023.
However, instead of removing the homage to her ex the way many would after a breakup, she kept the "J" tattoo because her new beau's first name conveniently shared the same letter.
“How lucky can I be that the guy that I’m going out [with] has the same initial,” she beamed, referring to her new boyfriend, Justin Saliman.
Saliman is a Beverly Hills-based sports medicine and arthroscopy-trained orthopedic surgeon who operates out of Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles.
Vergara then addressed the audience and encouraged them to "recycle."
Fans adored Vergara even more.
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People shared some thoughts on tattoos in general.
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The talk show appearance also led Manolo to gain a few admirers.
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Vergara and Saliman were first spotted on a dinner date in Beverly Hills last October and again at a restaurant in Santa Monica the next month.
A source told People that the America's Got Talent judge was "dating and having fun."
The insider added:
"She is enjoying life. She seems positive and full of energy."
"Sofia has been handling the divorce well. It wasn’t an easy decision, but she is doing great now."
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