Sofia Vergara Fighting Getting Older 'Every Step of the Way,' Has Never Felt Stronger After Divorce

The Modern Family alum, who graced the cover of People's Beautiful Issue, opened up about life since her split from ex-husband, Joe Manganiello, and why now, at 51, she feels stronger than ever.

The pair announced their split in July after seven years of marriage, with Vergara noting that their disagreement over having more kids caused a rift in their relationship.

"There's things in life that might sound like good ideas, but they're not. I was a mother already," Vergara, who is mom to son, Manolo, 32, from a previous relationship, said. "I know what it means to be a good mother or to try to be the best mother that you can, and that takes a lot of sacrifices, takes a lot of energy."

She continued, "Nowadays, thanks to science, women can actually have babies older. Before, nature for some reason tells your body at 50 you are in menopause, it's time for you to be done with that. There is a reason why nature is doing that. But that's for me, and I totally respect where anyone wants to be a mom after 50."

"I didn't think because of my career, the way I live my life, the way my marriage was, that it was fair to bring a kid to this world," Vergara went on to explain. "And I'm not going to be able to give 100 percent."

The America's Got Talent judge has since returned to dating. She's been linked to rumored new beau, Dr. Justin Saliman -- even going Instagram official with him earlier this month -- but Vergara kept pretty mum when asked if she was dating anyone, simply responding "maybe."

While post-divorce dating surely has its own set of challenges, the funny woman said dating in the public eye in general is "hard."

"Everything gets so exaggerated. Everything sometimes gets not interpreted the right way. So life is already hard. Having relationships is hard. Problems are hard. And then to see it out there and be completely changed, you want to be like, 'What is going on?'" Vergara explained. "But you just get used to it. It comes with being famous, so you can't complain that much."

Another challenge Vergara has faced? Aging. But as she approaches 52, the TV star said she's fighting the clock "every step of the way."

"I'm going to fight it every step of the way!," she quipped, before sharing what she's grateful for: "my son, my family, my career, my friends."

"Life has not always been easy... but I've never felt stronger," Vergara added.

There's been a few pearls of wisdom that have come with getting older as well, like not caring as much about public opinion.

"It's all the knowledge," Vergara said of what she's learned in her first five decades. "That's all. I've never really cared that much about what people think. But now I really care less."

As for what she's learned about love, Vergara said that's a bit trickier.

"You never know what the future is going to bring. You need to always give the best that you can, be the best person to the other person," she maintained. "Be there for them when they need you, when they're going through the hardest time. Hopefully that will one day come back to you."