Sofía Vergara Slammed As The ‘Rudest Celebrity’ By Actress Who Appeared On Modern Family: She ‘Mistreated Staff’
February 1, 2025 by Marissa Matozzo
Sofía Vergara is facing backlash after actress Kelly Mantle, who guest-starred on Modern Family, labeled her the “rudest” celebrity she has encountered. According to Mantle, 48, Vergara, 52, earned that reputation because of how she allegedly treated her staff and for having an outburst on the beloved ABC sitcom’s set over an issue involving a wig.
During a recent interview on The Bald and the Beautiful podcast with drag queens Trixie Mattel and Katya, Mantle (who appeared as a drag queen in the 2019 Modern Family episode titled “The Last Halloween”) recounted her experience working with Vergara.
Actress Who Appeared on Modern Family Slams Sofía Vergara as the 'Rudest Celebrity,' Claims She Was Disrespectful to Staff
"It was not the most pleasant experience I've ever experienced," Mantle dished, as reported by the Daily Mail. She added: "It wasn't toward me. It was the way that some of her staff were being treated." Mantle described an event where Vergara supposedly declined to allow the crew to use bobby pins to fasten a wig for a scene.
"In the episode, she's wearing a wig, and they kept wanting to put bobby pins in it, and she kept telling them no bobby pins," Mantle revealed. Tension apparently escalated on set when Mantle, responsible for placing a crown on Vergara's head during a scene, accidentally upset the America's Got Talent judge.
Mantle recalled: "They yell action, and I'm supposed to put the crown on her hair. So I put the crown on, and then they say cut, and she's like, 'Watch out for the wig! You're putting the crown on my head!'" Mantle then humorously replied to her, saying: "Well, girl, you should've used those bobby pins."
Looking back on everything, Mantle acknowledged that the Hot Pursuit alum could have simply been experiencing a bad day.
"Maybe it was a bad day. I'm just going to say it was a bad day. Because she's hilarious and beautiful, and talented, and gorgeous. I'm sure it was a bad day," she said.
From 2009 to 2020, Vergara starred in Modern Family, spanning 11 seasons. She portrayed Gloria Delgado-Pritchett in the series.
The show clinched five Emmy Awards for Outstanding Comedy Series. Vergara's performance as Gloria garnered her four Emmy nominations.
Last month, Vergara received a nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Limited Series, Anthology Series, or a Motion Picture Made for Television.
She was recognized for her portrayal of Griselda Blanco, a significant crime leader, in the Netflix miniseries Griselda. However, the award went to Jodie Foster for her performance in True Detective: Night Country.