Tragic Details About Sofia Vergara's Son Manolo Gonzalez Vergara

The following article includes references to addiction.

Manolo Gonzalez Vergara, the son from Sofia Vergara's first marriage to Joe Gonzalez, has mainly stayed out of the spotlight. But he's making a name for himself as a food entrepreneur, launching a culinary brand, Toma, in partnership with his famous mother in June 2024. The handsome Colombian is carving his path, but he has faced his fair share of adversities in life. He experienced parental separation when he was just a toddler, as Sofia and Gonzalez divorced when he was 2.

In her quest to be the best single mother she could, Sofia moved to the U.S. when Manolo was 3, further increasing the distance between father and son. As a result, he was raised largely without a father figure around. Just two years later, Manolo's family was struck by Colombia's infamous cartel violence when his uncle was brutally killed, an event that changed his family dynamics. Not wanting her family to stay in the country, Vergara moved her mom and remaining siblings to Miami to live with her and Manolo.

The next time Manolo experienced a big loss was much later, when he witnessed his beloved dog get hit by a car on their way to the vet. Manolo is grateful for his life, but being the son of a famous actor has consequences. For years, Manolo was targeted by a stalker who continued to harass him and Vergara even after being jailed for it. Manolo is doing well for himself, but he has overcome a lot along the way.

Manolo Gonzalez Vergara was over the moon about sharing his life with Mamacita, a rescue dog he adopted in early January 2018. But just three days into their shared journey, his furry companion was run over in front of him. "We were walking to the vet, and she got startled, and she ran away and got hit by a car," Gonzalez, visibly emotional, said in a video posted to his Instagram Stories (via E! News). "Mamacita died."

Gonzalez was inconsolable. "There was nothing they could do. Those were the best three days of my life. I'm so sorry, Mamacita," he said, crying. Days earlier, he had introduced the rescue to his Instagram followers to celebrate her adoption day. "Say hello to Mamacita, everyone," he captioned a video featuring her in the passenger seat of his car. The following day, he posted a picture of himself donning a T-shirt with the word "Mamacita" emblazoned across the front as he held the real-life Mamacita (seen above).

It was clear Gonzalez was excited about what the future held for them. But another Chihuahua mix helped his grief become more tolerable. Shortly after Mamacita's death, Gonzalez adopted Baguette, who inspired Gonzalez to launch a pet accessories line in partnership with Walmart in 2023. Baguette is a true member of the family, with Sofia Vergara treating her like a grandbaby. "On the weekends, he just drops his dog at my house," she told People in May 2024.

Manolo Gonzalez Vergara has no recollection of life under the same roof as his parents when they were married. Sofia Vergara and José "Joe" Gonzalez (seen above) divorced in 1993, when their son was 2. Vergara was 18 when she walked down the aisle, and she became a mom to Manolo a year later. "[Joe was] my high school sweetheart, the only one," she told Parade in 2011. She had never expected her plan to be a family woman to collapse so quickly. By the time she was 20, she was a single mother to a toddler.

Vergara had to grow up fast to ensure she could provide for her son. "I was really young when I divorced his father, so I raised him trying to set the best example and give him the best that I could," she told People in 2016. That's why nothing beats hearing compliments about Manolo. "When people compliment me on him, on how well mannered, how charming, funny and well-behaved he is, it makes all the sacrifices worthwhile," she said.

A year after his parents' divorce, Manolo was separated from his father by more than 1,000 miles. In 1994, Vergara moved with Manolo to Miami in search of better work opportunities. But she ensured the two had a relationship. "When José comes to the United States, he stays with me," she told Parade. This arrangement worked, as Manolo is close with Joe and his family, who feature frequently on his Instagram. 

Sofia Vergara and Manolo Gonzalez Vergara endured years of stalking that resulted in jail time and a five-year restraining order. Vergara and Gonzalez were given court protection in December 2023, a month after the "Modern Family" star filed for a temporary restraining order, the Independent reported. In her petition, Vergara claimed a 34-year-old man named Gregory Brown had gone back to stalking her and her son in July 2023, as soon as he was released from jail and while still on parole.

Vergara accused Brown of gaining access to her Los Angeles gated community by hiking through the hills. When confronted by security, he allegedly shouted, "[She] is mine." In 2021, Brown was sentenced to 32 months in jail for trespassing and vandalism on her property. "[He believes he has a] romantic and familial relationship with her and her son," court documents read. Vergara argued Brown was affecting her mental health. "Brown's ongoing, aggressive and harassing conduct and messages are extremely distressing," she said in documents.

This wasn't the first time she had sought legal protection from an alleged stalker. In November 2020, producer Luis Balaguer filed for a restraining on behalf of Gonzalez, Vergara, and her now ex-husband Joe Manganiello, TMZ reported. While the man in Balaguer's petition was identified as Rengifo Randazzo, it seems that both cases might relate to the same person, as the suspect had just been arrested for trespassing on Vergara and Manganiello's property, the report noted.

Manolo Gonzalez Vergara left his native Colombia when he was 3, but that didn't prevent the decades-long cartel violence that has plagued the world's biggest cocaine producer from affecting his life. He was just 5 when his uncle, Rafael Vergara, was murdered during an attempted kidnapping. The tragic death of Sofia Vergara's brother upended the Vergaras' reality. "It destroyed my family," she told Variety in August 2024. "It destroyed my mom. It changed our lives completely."

Sofia decided they would all be better off leaving Colombia behind. Since Sofia had been living with her son in Florida for a few years, she took it upon herself to take them all in. "It was hard, because I had to take responsibility for my whole family," she said. All of a sudden, Gonzalez went from living alone with his mother to sharing a home with his grandmother, aunt, and uncle. "I wanted to be with them. So I got a big house and we all lived together," she said in the Parade interview.

Rafael left behind a daughter, Claudia Vergara (both seen above), who is like a sister to Gonzalez. The repercussions of Rafael's murder didn't stop there. Sofia's younger brother, Julio Vergara, had a hard time coping with the loss of his brother, a trauma she believes is responsible for his years-long struggle with addiction. "To see somebody dying over 10 years, little by little, that's the worst punishment," she said.

If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).