Sofia gave birth to her son Manolo Gonzalez Vergara in 1991 when she was just 19 years old. His father is Joe Gonzalez, Sofia’s high school boyfriend and her first husband (they were married from 1991 to 1993). Manolo graduated from Emerson College in 2015 with a bachelor’s degree in film production. He has tried acting, appearing in films such as “Destined to Ride” and the series “Guilty Party.” He also appeared with his famous mother in advertisements for Head and Shoulders shampoo and had a cameo in her 2015 movie Hot Pursuit. Manolo even appeared when his mum hosted Saturday Night Live in 2012.

Today, Manolo is a chef and entrepreneur, but he is best known as the host of “Celebrity Family Food Battle” on The Roku Channel. In 2019, he launched CANINI by Baguette, a line of dog beds, clothes, and accessories inspired by his dog, Baguette. In 2024, Sofia and Manolo launched the TOMA brand of empanadas together. 

After her divorce in 1993, Sofia Vergara was in her early 20s and became a single mum to a toddler. She has been open about how being a mum at such a young age influenced her parenting style. 

In 2011, she told Redbook, “It’s a big responsibility; you can’t go out much at night. Instead of buying a pair of shoes, you have to buy nappies. When you have a child, you have to be more mature.” Now that her son, Manolo Gonzalez Vergara, is an adult, Vergara is happy to share how proud she is of the boy she raised. 

Manolo Gonzalez Vergara loves animals very much. His mother, Sofia Vergara, has joked that her son’s pets have made her think about what it will be like to be a grandmother. But in 2018, Manolo had to say goodbye to a pet after a strange accident. He had adopted a rescue dog called Mamacita and was instantly smitten with the new puppy. But just three days after adopting her, Manolo witnessed her life come to a tragic end.

After this, Manolo adopted a Chihuahua mix called Baguette, which inspired him to start a new business. In 2019, Manolo launched the CANINI by Baguette line of dog beds and other essential dog items.

Sofia Vergara’s world turned upside down when she was diagnosed with thyroid cancer at the young age of 28. She spoke about her experience with thyroid cancer during the 2021 Stand Up to Cancer charity event and again in an Instagram post for World Cancer Day in 2022. “At 28, ‘Cancer’ was not a word I expected to hear,” Vergara wrote on Instagram. 

Vergara was used to getting a lot of attention from adoring fans during her time on the TV show Modern Family. But one fan took their admiration too far, targeting Sofia and her son. In 2021, Gregory Aaron Brown was found guilty of damaging Sofia Vergara’s property and imprisoned for 32 months. He was released from prison in 2023. Since leaving prison, Brown has been trespassing near Vergara’s property. He also sent her a letter saying he would find her so they could be together. (Unfortunately, Vergara is used to dealing with lengthy legal battles.)Vergara and her son were granted a five-year restraining order against Brown in late 2023.