Howie Mandel is defending a joke he made during the America’s Got Talent live show on Tuesday evening (August 22). The comedian poked fun at his fellow AGT judge Sofia Vergara’s recent divorce from Joe Manganiello.
The joke came after a performance by a young ventriloquist, whose act included trying to find one of her puppets a new boyfriend with the help of AGT judge Heidi Klum. Mandel congratulated the young girl on her routine and then offered her advice.
“If you’re looking for eligible bachelors, you should’ve talked to Sofia because she’s in the market right now,” Mandel said.
There was a mixed reaction from the crowd, but Vergara seemed to take it all in stride. She smiled, raised her arms in the air, and yelled, “Yes!” AGT host Terry Crews seemed more annoyed. He replied, “No, we are not doing that here.”
Later, Vergara posted a photo of her and Mandel from the show. “Love you, [Howie Mandel].” He responded, “Right back at ya.”
In an exclusive interview with Extra after the AGT episode, Mandel responded to some of the adverse reactions he received from the audience.
“People were online saying, ‘Too soon.’ I think as soon as you’re available, it’s never too soon,” he said. “She’s fresh, people.”
He also disagreed with the opinion that the joke was mean and insensitive. “If you watched Sofía, she screamed after she came over to me and thought it was funny,” he said. “She said, ‘Yes,’ so she’s got a great sense of humor, and I wouldn’t do anything to hurt … a friend first and a fellow co-worker.”
Mandel then doubled down with another joke. “If you are watching Extra, and you can think of somebody, send it our way, and we will either swipe left or right.”