Julie Bowen praises Sofia Vergara’s Instagram photo after Joe Manganiello split: ‘What single looks like’

Julie Bowen has praised her now “single” friend Sofia Vergara after the actor announced her separation from her husband of seven years, Joe Manganiello.

Vergara took to her Instagram account on Monday to share another post from her recent vacation through Italy, in celebration of her 51st birthday. In the caption of the picture, which showed her posing in a blue one-piece bathing suit, she wrote: “Last days of vacay! Even when u r so hot I love u Ravello!!!”

In the comments, Bowen applauded her Modern Family co-star with a subtle mention to Vergara’s recent breakup.

“This is what single and [fire emoji] looks like!!!” she commented, along with multiple red hearts emojis.

Bowen’s comment came a day after Vergara and Manganiello announced they would be ending their marriage after seven years. In a statement to Page Six, the couple said: “We have made the difficult decision to divorce. 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 news came as Vergara has been posting photos from her trip through Italy. However, none of the photos have featured Manganiello.

The Independent has contacted Bowen, Vergara, and Manganiello for comment.

Aside from her recent Instagram comment, Bowen has continued to show her appreciation for Vergara on social media. In honour of the actor’s birthday on 10 July, the Happy Gilmore star shared an old snap of her and her co-star from a scene in Modern Family.

“To my sweet, funny friend Sofia HAPPY BIRTHDAY! I hope nobody in Italy is being as judgy as I am in this photo,” Bowen wrote in the caption of the Instagram post. “I love you and miss you!!!!”

In the comments, Vergara responded: “Jajjaja miss u!”

Fans have been speculating about the state of Manganiello and Vergara’s relationship after he posted his own birthday tribute to the actress on Instagram. Earlier this month, the Magic Mike star posted a throwback photo of himself and Vergara, which was pixelated and blurry, with a caption that read: “Feliz Cumpleaños Sofía!”

Fans were divided by the birthday tribute, with some claiming the actor should have written a more “loving” tribute to his wife of seven years.

However, other fans defended the couple from speculation that their relationship was struggling.

A source who spoke to Page Six claimed the couple has “been growing apart for a while now and are taking some distance from each other to contemplate their future”.

Meanwhile, another source claimed to Entertainment Tonight that Manganiello and Vergara “have been spending time apart and focusing on themselves, their careers, and their loved ones”.

Vergara and Manganiello began dating in 2014, before getting married in 2015. Three years after tying the knot, Manganiello opened up about his relationship with Vergara and how he had to adjusted to being married.

“Coming to grips with the idea that someone who is not related to you could possibly love you that much. She was it for me,” he told Cigar Aficionado in 2018, when asked about his biggest adjustment in marriage. “People say things like, ‘Marriage and relationships are work.’ But it’s not. Life is hard. Having somebody to help you deal with it is the greatest thing that ever happened.’”