The actress and her ex, Joe Manganiello, were officially declared legally single earlier this month.
Sofia Vergara and Dr. Justin Saliman's budding romance is moving in the right direction.
"Sofia and Dr. Justin Saliman's relationship has gotten more serious," a source tells ET. "They've been having a great time together and really enjoy each other’s company."
Saliman, a respected orthopedic surgeon, has been taken with Vergara's vivacious personality. "Justin loves Sofia’s enthusiasm, character, sense of humor, and how hard working she is," the source shares. "They love to have fun dinner date nights and have a natural chemistry whether it's just the two of them out or if they're with friends too."
The news comes as Vergara continues to move on from her past relationship with actor Joe Manganiello.
According to court documents obtained by ET earlier this month, a judgment on the dissolution of the exes' marriage was entered, officially terminating their marital partnership. Their status as single people was restored.
While reflecting on the experience, the source noted that Vergara is focusing on the positive aspects of the future.
"Sofia has moved on from her past relationship and appreciates the lessons she’s learned from it. She is grateful for that experience but is putting her energy into the future and excited about this new chapter. Sofia and Joe both just want to move on and be happy in their own lives," the source says.
In February, the former husband and wife agreed to settle their divorce less than a year after they announced they were calling it quits in July 2023.
Per previous documents obtained by ET, Vergara and Manganiello struck a deal to finalize their divorce with the help of a prenup in place. Court documents showed they "entered into a written agreement regarding their property and their marriage ... which is being or has been submitted to the court."
The court documents stated Manganiello requested that the court terminate spousal support for both parties. As far as assets are concerned, TMZ, who was first with the settlement news, reported that they'll get to walk away with what they accumulated individually over the course of their seven-year marriage.
The Griselda star took to her Instagram Story on Saturday and revealed a couple of nuggets, including that she's in love with Saliman. Vergara also revealed she underwent major knee surgery, and her handsome man's been the one looking after her.
Vergara rests on her bed with her leg wrapped in the photo she shared. Saliman is seen smiling while wearing his dark blue scrubs and resting his hand on Vergara's bum knee. In her caption, Vergara wrote, "If u ever get a [major] knee surgery make sure u Get a handsome doctor who will sleep with u that night!!!! Luv u Dr @jdsaliman."
It was back in October when the Modern Family star stunned in a black corset, purple suede pants and black heels while heading out to dinner with Saliman in Beverly Hills. That Vergara bagged herself a huge catch would be an understatement.
Saliman, for example, studied sports medicine at Stanford -- where he cared for the San Francisco 49ers and Stanford athletes -- before earning his medical degree at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. The Denver native, who practices at the famed Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles, completed his orthopedic surgery residency at St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center of Columbia University in New York City.
But wait, it gets better.
According to a Forbes report, Saliman is the inventor of the NovoStitch Pro Meniscal Repair System, which was acquired by the medical technology company Smith & Nephew in 2019 for a whopping $105 million. According to his bio, Saliman still uses the device to repair knee joints, and he's considered the foremost medical expert when it comes to sewing meniscus tears back together.
Less than a month after they were first linked in October, a source told ET that things were "going great" between the pair but that she was also "taking things slow." Nearly five months later, Vergara's now professing her love in a very public way.
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