Last fall, a newly single Sofia Vergara was spotted out on a dinner date with orthopedic surgeon Justin Saliman. Saliman, who used to be married to The Ugly Truth star Bree Turner, invented the NovoStitch Pro Meniscal Repair System, which repairs knee joints. He sold that technology for $105 million in 2019. He’s also the grandson of one of the dudes who helped build the Hoover Dam. Things got somewhat quiet after their date, and their status was unknown until Sofia told Jimmy Fallon back in January that she was single and looking forward to dating the non-showbiz men of New York City. Everyone just assumed that it hadn’t worked out or perhaps they were keeping it casual.
It looks like Sofia and Justin reconnected at some point because not only are they back together, but they’re also now Instagram official! Sofia had knee surgery recently and posted a picture of her hot doctor boyfriend at her bedside (which technically looked more like a couch side). The caption read, “If u ever get a [major] knee surgery make sure u Geta handsome doctor who will sleep with u that night…!” Noted.
Sofía Vergara is in recovery! The Modern Family alum, 51, revealed on her Instagram Stories on Friday, April 12, that she underwent knee surgery — and was being cared for by her new boyfriend, orthopedic surgeon Justin Saliman.
“If u ever get a [major] knee surgery make sure u Get a handsome doctor who will sleep with u that night… ! Luv u,” the actress captioned a photo of Saliman smiling while wearing dark blue medical scrubs.
On her Instagram Stories on Saturday, April 13, while resting, she shared a video of a gag gift her fellow America’s Got Talent judge Howie Mandel got her. It appeared to be some kind of electric pogo stick.
She jokingly cursed out Mandel, 68, and then tagged him in an image of herself. Vergara was lounging on her couch in a bright magenta robe, with her leg in a complex knee brace. A dog was sitting on her lap.
As for her new relationship, Vergara — who announced her divorce from Joe Manganiello in July 2023 — was first spotted with Saliman in October 2023.
“She is enjoying life. She seems positive and full of energy,” a source told PEOPLE after their first date. “Sofía has been handling the divorce well. It wasn’t an easy decision, but she is doing great now.”
The insider added that the Griselda star was “dating and having fun” at the time.
Hey, good for Sofia! I wish her nothing but happiness and am sure that Dr. Justin is taking very good care of her. I also hope her surgery went well! Hopefully, it wasn’t for anything too serious and she’ll have a quick recovery time. The extent of my knowledge about knee surgery is about the recovery process, actually. One summer while home from college, I worked the front desk at a physical therapy practice and they were always stressing how important it was to your recovery to make sure you do the exercises prescribed. Just like a music teacher with a student who doesn’t practice, these PTs always knew when someone wasn’t doing their exercises at home. I am sure that won’t be a problem for Sofia, especially if she’s sleeping with an orthopedic surgeon and has access to great PTs. Here’s to a speedy recovery for Sofia. We need new date night pictures now that we know they’re a thing.
Photos are credit: IMAGO/Jennifer Bloc / Avalon and via Instagram/People Magazine