On-set tensions and feuds are not uncommon in the entertainment industry, and the hit sitcom Modern Family was also rumored to have its fair share of behind-the-scenes drama, particularly between Julie Bowen and Sofía Vergara. Since their characters initially had some tension on the show, speculations arose that the actresses also had personal conflicts off-screen.
However, was there any truth to these rumors, or were they just a façade created by the press and tabloids to stir gossip? Bowen, who played Claire Dunphy on the show, eventually addressed the speculation and revealed the truth behind the alleged feud, offering a response that put the matter to rest once and for all.
The alleged feud between Modern Family stars Julie Bowen and Sofía Vergara
Throughout the 11-season run of Modern Family, Julie Bowen and Sofía Vergara often found themselves pitted against each other in a rumored feud. Reports of behind-the-scenes tensions likely stemmed from their characters Gloria Pritchett and Claire Dunphy’s initial dynamics on the show.
However, while their characters bonded as the series progressed, the rumors persisted. Bowen later reflected on how tabloids frequently claimed that she was jealous of Vergara’s rising popularity.
“Every night I get a call or email that says, ‘So-and-so trash mag will be running a story that you are icy to Sofía Vergara because you are jealous of her fame,” the Emmy-winning actress recalled during an appearance on The Ellen Show in 2016.
She also recalled seeing such narratives in tabloids, saying, “I would see sometimes… you’re just at the grocery store and you see… my face and Sophia like in how we hated each other,” (I Choose Me podcast).
Reports of an underlying competition between the two actresses further fueled speculation of a feud. However, much of it remained unverified until Bowen publicly called out the false narrative, setting the record straight about her relationship with Vergara.
Julie Bowen called out the media narrative of her fake feud with Modern Family co-star
Julie Bowen has long confronted rumors about her alleged feud with Sofía Vergara. And she once again called out tabloids and the media for pushing the narrative that the two actresses “hated each other” while working together on Modern Family.
The actress opened up about the fake narrative on the I Choose Me podcast, criticizing the common media trope that women struggle to share the spotlight.
The press kept trying to make me and Sofía sort of Betty and Veronica — They were just determined to pit us against each other like we hated each other. It’s this scarcity mindset that there’s only one woman who can be happy at a time.
“That’s so crazy; that’s just so ridiculous,” the Happy Gilmore star recalled her reaction to the tabloids’ portrayal of their alleged tensions.
Bowen also recalled discussing such rumors with the Griselda star. “So I emailed her last night and then we talked. And I’m like, ‘What should I say?’ Because we’re friends. I’m like, ‘What should I say? You’re funny,’” she recalled on The Ellen Show.
Vergara simply suggested Bowen borrow her blouse to dispel the rumors. “She was like, ‘Please just borrow my blouse!” Bowen recalled. She ended up wearing her co-star’s off-the-shoulder, periwinkle-colored top during her appearance on The Ellen Show.
However, unlike the reports of jealousy or competition between Bowen and Vergara, the two share a strong mutual respect, with Bowen even expressing deep love and admiration for her co-star.
Julie Bowen expressed her admiration for Sofía Vergara
Despite the long-standing rumors of on-set tensions, Julie Bowen has repeatedly dismissed such claims and has openly expressed her admiration for her Modern Family co-star.
Talking about Vergara on the I Choose Me podcast, Bowen said,
I love Sofía, and I love how different we are, and I love that she is funny and self-effacing and bawdy, and she loves life and she loves dancing and eating cake, and all of these things.
She further expressed her admiration for the Emmy-nominated actress, saying, “I learned so much from being around her about what it is to be a really powerful, completely in-herself woman.”
“No one would mistake her for like a fourteen-year-old boy from behind like they do me all the time,” she further quipped. Vergara also reflected on their bond in a 2024 interview with Variety, sharing that Bowen sent her a video of herself voting for her on the 2024 Emmys ballot.
Vergara made history as the first Latina nominated for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series for her performance in the Netflix series Griselda.
Ultimately, both Modern Family stars have made it clear that there is no tension, let alone a feud, between them and that they have remained close friends both during and after their time on the sitcom.
Modern Family is available to watch on Hulu.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
