Sofia Vergara Headed Back To Court With Ex Who Wants Custody Of Embryos

Sofia Vergara and her ex, Nick Loeb, are reportedly still locked in a legal battle now that Loeb has been granted permission from a judge to continue to seek custody of two female embryos that Vergara had frozen when they were still together.

The Modern Family actress has released statements through her legal reps saying that she and Loeb agreed that both of them would have to give consent if one of them decided to pursue fertilization, but Loeb says that Vergara has broken an oral contract regarding her willingness to bring the embryos to term. In Loeb’s eyes, the embryos are his daughters.

“The plaintiff is using this lawsuit to continue to attack Vergara in the press and continue to have his own visibility in the press. There is no legal issue,” said Fred Silberberg, Vergara’s attorney.

Vergara and Loeb ended their engagement last year and she’s now set to marry actor Joe Manganiello; the new couple seem to be very happy, but Loeb said in court documents that Vergara abused him during the course of their relationship. According to People, Loeb claims his ex “physically abused him on four separate occasions, she punched him in the face on two occasions, kicked him, and threw her phone at this head.”

Sofia told Good Morning America recently that she doesn’t feel Loeb has a basis for the lawsuit and doesn’t want to continue to allow him to have a say in what goes on in her life.

“I don’t want to allow this person to take more advantage of my career and try to promote himself and get press for this.”

Vergara told Cosmo For Latinas earlier this year that she and Manganiello aren’t looking to start a family of their own anytime soon, and has said that she wants to keep the embryos frozen.

“When you’re with someone that hasn’t had kids, and you want to start a relationship, of course there’s always that question. And if it happens, it will be something that will make us very happy, but it’s not a priority in our lives,” Vergara said.

Loeb doesn’t appear to be close to backing down, and wrote an op-ed piece for the New York Times regarding the lawsuit and what it means for the debate about when life begins.

“It has gotten attention not only because of the people involved… but also because embryonic custody disputes raise important questions about life, religion and parenthood,” he wrote.

[Photo courtesy Conan/TBS]