During a recent recording of America’s Got Talent on September 13, Sofia Vergara found herself participating in a lie-detector test, and the judges took full advantage of the opportunity. She sat in an unusual chair shaped like a stack of tater tots, and an arm cuff was used to monitor her vital signs.
Terry Crews introduced the “tot seat,” a heated seat made to resemble tater tots, and Simon Cowell offered Vergara as a willing participant when Crews asked if any of the judges wanted to take the test. The judges proceeded to ask her a series of questions, one of which was posed by Howie Mandel, and it didn’t quite go as expected.
Mandel asked Vergara if there was anyone in the audience she was interested in, alluding to her recent single status after nearly a decade. To everyone’s surprise, including Mandel’s, she declined to answer the question. Instead, she removed the arm cuff and returned to her seat at the judge’s table.
Howie Mandel has faced online backlash as a result of his question, especially since it comes just a few weeks after he made a similar joke about Vergara’s single status. Last month, during an act on the show, Mandel made a comment about her being single, which sparked criticism from some fans.
This led Howie Mandel to address the issue in an interview with Extra. While some people online felt the joke was “too soon,” Mandel disagreed. He stated, “I think as soon as you’re available, it’s never too soon. She’s fresh, people,” and added that he wouldn’t have made the joke if he knew it would offend her.
Sofia Vergara and Joe Manganiello, her husband of seven years, announced their separation on July 17, and Joe filed for divorce just two days later, citing “irreconcilable differences.” Their joint statement didn’t provide specific details, but they expressed their mutual love and respect for each other.
“We have made the difficult decision to divorce,” their July 17 statement read, and court documents indicated a separation date of July 2. “As two people that love and care for one another very much, we politely ask for respect for our privacy at this time as we navigate this new phase of our lives.”
The couple had a prenuptial agreement in place, and it was speculated that Joe wanted a divorce because Vergara didn’t want to have children. They first met in May 2014 and married in November 2015. Sofia has one child from a previous relationship.