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Joe Manganiello debuts new girlfriend at gala five months after split from Sofia Vergara

Magic Mike actor Joe Manganiello walked the red carpet with his new leading lady just five months after divorcing the Modern Family star.

Joe Manganiello and Sofia Vergara were married in 2015 up until their split this year in July. Picture: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images
Joe Manganiello and Sofia Vergara were married in 2015 up until their split this year in July. Picture: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images

Joe Manganiello wasn’t an eligible bachelor for long!

Just five months after splitting from wife Sofia Vergara, the Magic Mike actor debuted a new leading lady, actress Caitlin O’Connor, reports Fox News.

The new couple attended the 20th annual Children of Armenian Fund (COAF) Holiday Gala on Saturday in New York City, where Manganiello was honoured with the organisation’s Humanitarian Award.

COAF, a non-profit NGO, aims to enrich the lives of the children of Armenia. Manganiello previously touched upon his Armenian ancestry during an episode of Find Your Roots.

Joe Manganiello walked the red carpet with new girlfriend Caitlin O’Connor at the Children of Armenia Fund Gala in New York City on December 9. Picture: Gotham/Getty Images for ABA
Joe Manganiello walked the red carpet with new girlfriend Caitlin O’Connor at the Children of Armenia Fund Gala in New York City on December 9. Picture: Gotham/Getty Images for ABA

Manganiello, 46 and O’Connor, 33, are rumoured to have met at a party in September and started “casually seeing each other” before becoming an official couple at the end of the month, per People magazine.

A source from the event, held at Cipriani, told Fox News Digital that the couple “seemed so into each other” and remained together throughout the event.

The new couple were first linked in September after they were seen exiting Gold's Gym in LA. Picture: Stoianov/BACKGRID
The new couple were first linked in September after they were seen exiting Gold's Gym in LA. Picture: Stoianov/BACKGRID

Manganiello was particularly kind and opted to take photos with other attendees, many of whom were also Armenian.

During his speech, Manganiello spoke about his great-grandmother who evaded death in 1915 after her husband and seven of their eight children were murdered by the Ottoman Turks during the Armenian Genocide.

“The whole room was emotional at his speech,” the insider added. “Not a dry eye in the room!”

“I had no idea how much impact that it would have,” the True Blood star said of sharing his family’s story, according to video from the event seen by Fox News Digital.

Manganiello and Sofia Vergara were married in 2015 up until their split this year in July. Picture: Rich Fury/Getty Images
Manganiello and Sofia Vergara were married in 2015 up until their split this year in July. Picture: Rich Fury/Getty Images

“And I had no idea how under-represented the story of the Armenians was in the public. Since 1915, and even before that, the Turkish government refuses to acknowledge the Armenian Genocide, of the massacre of over 1.5 million of Armenians. Every single Armenian has a story like mine. Every one of us carries the survivor’s gene.”

The event, which featured a silent and live auction, raised over $US10 million.

The couple said they “made the difficult decision to divorce” in a joint statement. Picture: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images
The couple said they “made the difficult decision to divorce” in a joint statement. Picture: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images

Manganiello initially filed for divorce from Vergara, 51, in July. According to documents obtained by Fox News Digital, the listed date of separation was noted as July 2.

“We have made the difficult decision to divorce,” the couple said in a statement shared with Page Six.

“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.”

Vergara has reportedly rebounded with a new man of her own. She has been spotted with orthopaedic surgeon Justin Saliman on several occasions.

This article originally appeared in Fox News and was reproduced with permission

Originally published as Joe Manganiello debuts new girlfriend at gala five months after split from Sofia Vergara

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