As NBC was busy airing its numerous weeks of America’s Got Talent audition rounds, star judge Sofia Vergara and now former hubby Joe Manganiello revealed that they’re heading for divorce after seven years of marriage. She’s reportedly doing okay with everything in the aftermath, and trying to keep a positive attitude. And she certainly seemed to exude such vibes whenever Howie Mandel rather quickly joked about her being “single” in the competition series’ return to live eps for the Qualifiers, though it didn’t stop some fans from calling him out for going there already. Ever the comedian, Mandel responded by amusingly doubling down on his initial comments.
During the episode, Howie Mandel quipped to 12-year-old ventriloquist Brynn Cummings, whose act involved a female puppet looking for a boyfriend, that his co-judge Sofia Vergara would have advice about eligible bachelors, since she’s “in the market right now.” The moment could have easily landed with a dull thud, and AGT’s Heidi Klum and Simon Cowell weren’t about to engage in that subject matter, but Vergara herself was clearly amused by the off-handed divorce reference. Which is probably why Mandel felt free to lean into his joke even more when talking to Extra about viewers who weren’t so approving. In his words:
