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Why is Sofia Vergara being sued over $26M home with ex Joe Manganiello? See her $5M clapback

The Griselda actress is in the midst of a legal battle with the contractors who worked on her Los Angeles home

Beatriz Colon
Beatriz Colon - New York
New York WriterNew York
January 31, 2024
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Sofia Vergara is taking a page from Gwyneth Paltrow's book when it comes to lawsuits, and standing her ground against the "false narratives" being claimed by her former contractor.

The Griselda actress, 51, was sued back in late November by Reside Custom Homes, the contractors who previously worked on the $26 million Los Angeles home she purchased in 2020 with ex-husband Joe Manganiello.

The contractors have accused her of several claims, including breach of contract, promissory fraud and intentional interference with contractual relations, all of which the Modern Family alum has fired back at in her own counterclaim.

WATCH: Sofia Vergara's Rise to Fame

In a filing obtained by People, Sofia's attorney Martin Singer maintains on her behalf that though both his client and the opponents had previously agreed to settle the dispute privately, they in turn filed the lawsuit in an effort to "publicize a false narrative," "embarrass" Sofia publicly, and "publicize mischaracterized facts and pressure Vergara publicly."

In their complaint, they accuse Sofia of not paying two bills pertaining to the work they did for her home, which total to $1,700,492.64. They state that though they had completed the work planned for the home in December 2022, Sofia allegedly requested additional work that resulted in the two unpaid bills, one for $896,196.15 and another for $657,245.23.

Moreover, they have accused her of hostile conditions on the job site, due to alleged "aggressive outbursts" against employees, who they claim they had to convince not to quit.

Sofia is enjoying single life© Instagram
Sofia splits her time between Los Angeles and Miami

Sofia is in turn claiming that RCH performed not only negligent construction – including failing to make necessary repairs and ignoring complaints over faulty work – and overcharged her, but that as a result, she was left with $5 million in damages.

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The suit states Sofia moved into the home in March of 2023, three years after it was purchased, and only four months before she and her ex Joe announced their divorce.

sofia vergara joe manganiello vanity fair oscars party 2023© Getty
The actress shared the home with her ex-husband

The former couple, who tied the knot in 2015, first shared news of their split in July, telling Page Six in a statement at the time: "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 of our privacy at this time as we navigate this new phase of our lives."

MORE: Sofia Vergara 'wanted change' after ditching Modern Family persona for 'complex role'

Sofia has since gotten candid about both how it felt to go through a divorce publicly, as well as what led to it: Joe, who is 47, wanted kids, while Sofia, who is a mom to 32-year-old son Manolo, did not.

Sofia Vergara hosts a reunion with her Modern Family cast members, picture shared on Instagram© Instagram
Sofia recently hosted a Modern Family reunion in her home

Joe is now dating fellow actress Caitlin O'Connor, 33, and they made their red carpet debut in December while attending the Children of Armenia Fund Gala at Cipriani in New York City.

Though Sofia has claimed that she is single, she has sparked romance speculation with Justin Saliman, a Los Angeles-based orthopedic surgeon, after they were spotted on several outings together.

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