Julie Bowen Wouldn't Let the Public Pressure Her Into Hating Sofía Vergara

The two are still the best of friends.

On-screen stepmom-and-daughter duo Julie Bowen and Sofía Vergara took their on-screen chemistry off-screen during their run on Modern Family, becoming super BFFs during and after the show's run—but Bowen said that their friendship almost didn't happen. During an appearance on Jennie Garth's podcast, "I Choose Me," Bowen said that there was a lot of pressure for the two to be enemies, but that she wouldn't let anyone pit her against her co-star.

Speaking to Garth about how tabloids love to pit actresses against one another, Bowen said that she wasn't going to fall for the Betty vs. Veronica vibes that were being hurled at her and Vergara.

"I felt it on Modern Family. The press kept trying to make me and Sofía, sort of Betty and Veronica. And I know they did that with you and Shannen. I mean, I remember it," Bowen said, mentioning Garth's role on Beverly Hills, 90210. "They were just determined to pit us against each other, like we hated each other. It's this scarcity mindset that only one woman can be happy at a time. And I was like, 'Oh, no. I love Sofía, and I love how different we are. And I love—she is funny and self-effacing and bawdy, and she loves life, and she loves dancing and eating cake and all these things.'"

She went on to say that she was disappointed in the media coverage of their friendship and that she always rose above it all to support her friend.

"I found that to be really disappointing on the part of the press, but I just never fed into that," Bowen added. "That's a scarcity mindset, and there's no such thing as, like, oh, if one woman's doing well, that means others have to step back. I can't support that."

Bowen finished by saying that she "learned so much from being around [Vergara] about what it is to be a really powerful, completely in herself woman."

People reports that in 2016, Bowen addressed the same topic during an appearance on The Ellen Degeneres Show. During that sit-down, she explained how there had been stories saying that she was being "icy to Sofía Vergara because [she's] jealous of her fame."

“So, I email her last night and then we talk and I’m like, ‘What should I say?’ Because we’re friends. I’m like, ‘What should I say? You’re funny,’” Bowen said at the time.

Vergara responded, "Please, just borrow my blouse." Apparently, that was enough to quiet any false rumors of animosity between the two.

Since Modern Family wrapped, Bowen has been by Vergara's side at various events, including the Griselda star's Hollywood Walk of Fame induction and celebratory meet-ups with other members of the cast.

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