Sofia Vergara’s path from the troubled city of Barranquilla, Colombia to being the highest paid actress on American television was not an easy road to travel. Her life has been beset by tragedy time and again, but Sofia has consistently managed to rise above it without forgetting where she came from.

Though Sofia had been in the entertainment industry for nearly 20 years, she didn’t hit celebrity status until she was cast on the hit ABC sitcom Modern Family as Gloria Delgado-Pritchett, whose rags to riches life story was loosely inspired by Sofia’s real life. It proved to be a match made in heaven, but sometimes it’s hard to shake off the past, no matter how far you’ve come. For Sofia Vergara, it all started back in Barranquilla, Colombia.

Sofia was born in 1972 in Barranquilla, Colombia to a family of cattle farmers. Though the profession wasn’t exactly glamorous, it provided a stable income for the Catholic family of eight. Sofia’s mother was able to stay home and take care of the children, while her father managed the ranch. Though Barranquilla was thrown into chaos by the violent activity related to trafficking that was springing up, Sofia led a relatively quiet life, attending a private English-Spanish school and never dreaming of stardom.

Unfortunately for Sofia, she was raised during one of the most violent times in Colombian history. Due to her family’s relatively secure means, Sofia largely avoided becoming caught in the crossfires of the ongoing conflict between paramilitary groups and the weak Colombian government. The instability of the country surrounding her kept her strongly tied to her Catholic faith, which almost kept her from becoming an actress at all. Sofia always had an inkling, however, that her family’s security would one day make them a target.

Vergara never had aspirations to become a performer, choosing instead to study dentistry at university following high school. Though she always knew she was beautiful, and often wavered as to her feelings on her naturally ample chest, Sofia worried that a career focused on her looks would be considered immodest by the Catholic church. It was her luck that she was discovered on the beach near her hometown when she was 17, but the deeply religious Sofia initially turned down the offer.

When Sofia was offered an appearance in a racy Pepsi ad in 1989, she was afraid of how the sisters at her strict Catholic school would react, but her mother encouraged her to take the offer. Sofia seemed to be aware of how people perceived her based on her looks, but her mother often argued that her curves were a gift from God. While Sofia’s commercial became an international hit across the Latin world, Sofia soon returned to a more mundane life.

It’s quite possible that had Sofia not married her high school sweetheart when she did that she never would have entered show business. Vergara was married at 18, but did not give up her studies just to follow in her mother’s footsteps. A year later, she gave birth to her son, Manolo, when she was only 19. Becoming a mother at such a young age deeply affected Sofia, who became determined to protect her son at any costs. Happiness, however, would prove to be elusive.

It’s not uncommon for high school couples to split up while they’re in university, no matter how convinced they are that they will stay together forever, but for Sofia Vergara, even marriage vows and an infant son couldn’t keep her first marriage intact. She and her first husband, Joe Gonzalez, split in 1993, when Manolo was only two years old, leaving Vergara a 21 year old divorcée who hadn’t yet finished her college degree. Sofia needed a way to earn an income immediately, and left her studies behind.

Sofia moved with Manolo to Bogota in order to pursue the higher paying modeling jobs that she continued to be offered. The instability in Colombia had continued to increase throughout her life, and she was determined to do whatever she needed in order to provide for her young son. Protecting him became the most important goal in her life, so she took work that would be the most likely to ensure their safety. With any luck, it would take them out of danger.

Vergara hadn’t intended to pursue a career as an actress, but she didn’t hesitate to take a role in a telenovela from Mexico, Acapulco, cuerpo y alma. The role got Sofia noticed by other networks, putting her on their radar as a television personality. It was often grueling for the young mother to balance her work with taking care of her son. The support of her family was tantamount to Sofia’s success on the small screen, but she would soon be pushed to protect them too.

Though Pablo Escabar may have been eliminated by 1993, Colombia in 1994 was still subject to the whims of chaos and violence that had characterized life there for over 30 years. She was offered a chance to host a travel show for Univision, based out of Miami. A friend shared, “She saw it as a chance to give her son a better life. She said yes immediately.” The threat of violence was too great for Vergara to stay in Colombia now that she had a way out.

When Sofia moved to the United States, she was able to bring her mother and sister along with her and her son, giving them sanctuary in Miami. Meanwhile, Sofia’s popularity among Spanish speaking audiences continued to grow, and she moved from hosting a Spanish language travel show to a Spanish game show. Latin audiences loved her, but she was otherwise largely unknown to American audiences. With a comfortable life in Miami, Sofia could hardly have asked for more. Then, tragedy struck.

It was 1998, and Sofia was making a new life with her family in America, but she hadn’t had the chance to bring everyone else over yet, nor did they all want to go. Everything changed in the blink of an eye when her brother Raul was killed in an attempted kidnapping. Sofia was absolutely devastated. Still, she had to go on providing for her family, but the investigation of his murder was incomplete, leaving many questions unanswered.

Vergara had hardly recovered from her family tragedy when she was hit with more bad news. In 2000, doctors surprised Vergara with the news that she had thyroid cancer. Vergara was lucky they had caught it early, quickly undergoing surgery and treatment with radioactive iodine. While she managed to receive medical clearance shortly after, she came through the ordeal only to find her love life in shambles. Despite her professional success, Sofia was suffering privately as she was hit with one problem after another.

Perhaps she was drawn to the life of a mob boss because it reminded her of the rampant crime in Colombia, or perhaps something of his dazzling lifestyle seduced her. Somehow, Vergara managed to get involved with Chris Paciello, who owned several nightclubs popular with a number of big name celebrities, including Madonna and Jennifer Lopez. Paciello’s connections to the mob were no secret, however, with a list of misdeeds so long that he sported the nickname, “The Binger.”

In the aftermath of Sofia’s health scare, her then boyfriend was charged with a murder that took place during a 1996 burglary gone wrong that had taken place in Paciello’s native Staten Island. His bail was posted for $15 million, which Sofia offered to him using her house as collateral. Though he pleaded guilty and collaborated with prosecutors by giving them important names, Paciello was still sentenced to six months in jail, which effectively ended his romantic relationship to Sofia.

Paciello’s eventual imprisonment still wasn’t enough for Vergara, whose taste for bad boys still hadn’t been satisfied. Her career was continuing to gain steam, though she was just barely beginning to break into the English language market. At the same time as she started earning small roles in English TV shows and movies, she began a relationship with former Colombian kingpin, Andrés López López. The relationship lasted long enough for him to mention his love for Sofia in a 2004 interview.

Sofia’s life changed forever when she booked a guest role on My Wife and Kids. ABC executives liked the Latin beauty so much that they immediately signed her to a long term contract with the network. Sofia decided to move her and her son out to Los Angeles so she was better positioned to work on bigger budget acting projects. Sofia once shared that she had such a following among the Latin community that the Latin valets were more excited to meet her than Justin Timberlake.

Sofia’s incredible looks had heads turning in Hollywood from the minute she arrived, included Tom Cruise’s. He pursued her relentlessly, and to some, it seemed that he was “auditioning” Sofia to be his new wife. Despite the numerous playdates he set up for his kids and Manolo, there was no way the Catholic Sofia would ever accept Scientology in her life, which sent Tom packing. While she may have dodged that bullet, there was still more trouble ahead.

No one who knows Vergara would ever question her commitment to her family. Following the tragic loss of her older brother, Sofia again reached out to try to help her family by bringing her younger brother Julio to Miami. He had his own demons to wrestle with, and there was only so much Sofia could do for him. Try as she might, she couldn’t keep him out of trouble. Her heartache with regards to Julio would only continue to grow.

Vergara’s break out role as Gloria Delgado Pritchett on Modern Family changed her life forever. The producers were so keen on casting Vergara that they had written the role for her, incorporating many elements of Vergara’s tumultuous past into the character’s story. The minute she was in the spotlight, Vergara began to earn both accolades for her hilarious performance as well as criticism for playing to stereotypes. Unfazed, Vergara said that the inspiration for Gloria comes straight from her aunt Gloria Vergara.

In 2011, Sofia Vergara was riding high. She had multiple Emmy nominations under her belt and was involved with a new beau, business man Nick Loeb. Her brother Julio, however, just couldn’t keep himself out of trouble. After multiple stints in rehab and a number of arrests, the United States decided he just wasn’t worth the trouble. There was nothing Sofia could do to stop him from being deported. Vergara had to find ways to cope with the devastation she felt.

She may have been in love, but her relationship to Nick Loeb was volatile from the start. The couple were involved on and off for four years, and there’s been no end to the trouble that arose during their hard times. One friend shared with reporters, “They would fight all the time…It was very uncomfortable to be around them sometimes. She’s feisty, he’s dorky — they were like oil and water.” Vergara, however, is loyal to a fault, even to her own detriment.

Even in spite of Paciello’s convictions, Sofia found it hard to completely cut ties with her former flame. Her loyalty came back to bite her when Nick Loeb got into a fight with the security at one of Paciello’s nightclubs in Miami when the couple were attending a New Year’s party. Vergara attempted to cut ties with her ex in the aftermath, but it was too late for her current relationship. The pair’s arguments only continued to worsen.

Sofia was in the trance of those blissful early days of her new relationship when she got a call that stopped her in her tracks. Her newest beau, Loeb, was in the hospital. Sofia rushed over to his bedside, fearing the worst. He had been in a car accident and was seriously injured. Sofia prayed with all of her might that he would recover, and thankfully her prayers were answered. The pair had only been dating for about six months at the time.

It never helped Nick’s case that he seemed to compulsively promote his product, namely Onion Crunch. Sofia was absolutely furious to discover that on one occasion, Loeb had snuck his snack food into a White House dinner in order to try and promote it. The friend shared, “The arguments just accelerated after that. He felt humiliated, and she felt that he was trying to control her.” Still, she couldn’t seem to kick the “Onion Crunch King” to the curb.

Loeb proposed to Vergara in 2012 at a Mayan ruin in Mexico, but even an engagement couldn’t save their rocky relationship. The pair split for the last time in May 2014 after dating on and off for nearly four years. Sofia didn’t seem too cut up by the split, as she stepped out with Joe Manganiello less than two months later. Sofia’s happiness with Joe was in stark contrast to the chaos she experienced in all of her previous relationships. Finally, the bad boy streak was broken.

Sofia may have moved on to a more stable partner, but Nick wasn’t quite done with her yet. Sofia suddenly found herself embroiled in a legal battle with her own embryos. The pair had created a couple of embryos via in-vitro fertilization in 2013, following their engagement.The embryos were then frozen, with the intention that the couple would implant them in a surrogate. After their split, however, Loeb decided he wanted to go ahead with implanting the embryos anyway, with or without Sofia’s consent.

Sofia’s life may have stabilized considerably since she finally left Loeb in the dark, but there are still perils to being as famous as she now is. Just a couple of weeks ago, Teresa Giudice of Real Housewives fame began bad mouthing Sofia to the press for not taking a picture with her at a party. Giudice claims her publicist told her to take the photo. In the aftermath, Giudice is quoted as saying that Sofia should be nicer because she’s an immigrant.

Still, Sofia is undeterred. She has maintained her status as the highest paid female actress on television for the last few years, and jokes about spending her money on lavish handbags, which she used to say her son can sell if she’s ever short on his college tuition. Despite her intense fame, Sofia is still a family girl at heart, using her success to lavish gifts and vacations on her extended family. Though it hasn’t been easy, Sofia has the last laugh.

Zach and Tori had been dating for four years when Zach finally proposed. The answer was a resounding yes even though Tori knew starting a life and family with Zach was going to present some challenges.

Tough Tori was aware of these challenges, she had no idea how big the dangers and obstacles would be. She even said in an interview that she thought the couple’s story was pretty unique. Exciting and terrifying all at once.

Once the couple tied the knot, they began to talk about starting a family. Both Tori and Zach were adamant that they wanted to build a family, but both were very honest about the risk that this entailed.

They knew that the chance of health complications was there, but even with that, they decided the risk was worth the reward. So the couple began trying to get pregnant. This, however, was the first step on a long and tumultuous road.

It didn’t take long for the two to find out that they were expecting. Nine months after Tori Roloff gave birth and became a mom for the very first time. This was an exciting event in her and Zach’s life. Like any other couple, they were nervous about raising a child.

But unlike many of their friends and family that had already brought life into the world, they had more to worry about.

Zach and several of his family all live with dwarfism, and this brings extra difficulties to surmount. Not only with daily activities but with their health. Zach himself had to go through many surgeries as he grew up.

His dad, Matthew, requires even more attention due to the form of dwarfism he was born with. Zach’s mom Amy on the other hand, hasn’t had as many health concerns as the two men. Even with all that, though, it is incredible the amount of and type of work they were able to manage.

Tori Roloff went to work on the family farm, and it wasn’t long before the fans of the show felt that she and Zach were the perfect couple. Eventually, Zach agreed, and four months after Tori started working there, he asked her out.

She clearly said yes, and after dating for just a short period, Tori knew she had found her Prince Charming. But she had no idea the hurdles that this fairytale romance would bring into her life.

Hollywood loves a good spin-off, and when Amy and Matthew began to dream of a different career, the show was ripe for one. So in 2012, Zach’s parents stepped out and took the leading roles in their own reality show called Little People, Big World: Wedding Farm.

This followed them as they started working on their own wedding planning business. The show didn’t have the ratings of the original, and so it only lasted one season.

With cameras in their faces and lives every day and every hour, you can imagine tension and frustration might begin to mount. This would be especially true if you were a young man, and so the youngest family member, Jacob, decided to quit.

He felt that the family on the screen was not the one he lived with, but rather characters of themselves. Jacob didn’t want to portray something he wasn’t, so he bowed out gracefully.

The office romance unfolded over a few years before it moved on to a more permanent relationship with the engagement. Even with the stray eyed love, the couple has had their share of issues. Tori Roloff was aware of the problems that might arise from the pairing.

However, she wasn’t aware of how emotionally draining they might be. Even still, she knew she loved Zach, and so she pushed through all the challenges and uncertainty.

A wedding is a big event in anyone’s lives, but it becomes even bigger when you are a star on a hit reality series. So with the events covered thoroughly by TLC cameras, Zach and Tori finally walked down the aisle in July of 2015.

The ceremony was small with just 100 people, and though not the first wedding on the show, was by far the one everyone was waiting for.

Having the experience of controlling multiple children and getting them to focus on you is an important skill to have as a new mom. So Tori Roloff started off her new job with the scale tipped in her favor, as she not only worked on the farm but was a kindergarten teacher as well.

Of course, she had to take some time off from the job when the baby was born, but she told several people she couldn’t wait to introduce the baby to her kids.

Of course, Tori Roloff was aware that the little one could inherit the dwarfism gene from Zach. He was born with achondroplasia, and so with that in mind, the couple was prepared for the news if it came.

In May of 2017, they got the results, and it was confirmed that little one did inherit the gene. Even with the news, though, the couple were still excited and knew that they were going to go through a whole range of emotions through the pregnancy and into the child’s young life.

But before the little bundle of joy could enter their lives and the world, there was another important milestone for the couple. Tori Roloff made sure that the world knew how much she loved Zach when their 7th anniversary of being together came around.

She posted a beautiful picture and post on Instagram that expressed how important Zach was to her and how her life would not be the same or as happy if they hadn’t met.

The wedding was a rousing success and one of the family’s happiest moments, but another announcement would take the family and fans by surprise. Later that same year, Zach’s parents announced that they were splitting up after 30 years of marriage.

They fully intended to keep working together on their joint ventures and still planned to focus on their family, but they needed to go their own ways in regards to their relationship.

In May of 2017, Tori and Zach welcomed Jackson, their son, into the world. They later would come to find out he shared his father’s dwarfism gene, which was okay with Zach. He told several people in interviews he knew they would have to encourage them more.

When dealing with the trials of dwarfism, the boy was always going to have to work a little harder. But Zach still wanted to raise him with the understanding that not everyone gets a trophy.

The couple knew they didn’t want Jackson to feel like his dwarfism would keep him from doing anything he wanted to.

That is why Tori Roloff made sure to give constant updates via social media on Jackson’s progress and life. But soon, she would find out it wasn’t only about Jackson’s struggles but hers as well.

Tori Roloff kept the updates on Jackson coming, and they were all positive, but in one post, she discussed her challenges in breastfeeding. She was very transparent with the fact she found breastfeeding challenging.

She was shocked as it is a natural part of the process, and she didn’t realize how hard it would be. New moms all over the country and the world sympathized with her and appreciated her honesty.

Tori Roloff continued to be open about the struggles of breastfeeding. She even discussed how hard it is for women who can’t breastfeed to answer simple check-up questions. For instance, how is breastfeeding going?

Once again, moms worldwide were awed by her courage and gave a lot of support and praise for being so open. After all, a lot of new moms are ashamed to talk about their problems.

Though she struggled and was concerned about adding another child to the mix, Tori and Zach decided they wanted a bigger family. In several interviews, the couple discussed the desire for a larger family.

Zach even went on to say they were thinking that four or five was a good number. But the couple was also a go-with-the-flow kind of couple and believed if it happens, it happens. But there is a big announcement coming!

Tori and Zach had already discussed with the world they wanted to give Jackson a sibling or two. Then it happened, and they announced last year that they were expecting their second child.

Not long after the announcement, Tori’s Instagram feed was filled with pictures from a photoshoot in a beautiful field. Plus, they also announced in one of the posts that the baby was going to be a girl!

That photoshoot had a special guest star… Jackson. The then 2-year-old made an appearance wearing a cute t-shirt that had “Big Brother” printed across it. He seemed pretty happy as the couple kneeled at his side and held a picture of the sonogram.

Even though the couple looked happy, many fans were concerned after a few previous posts from Tori Roloff. In these posts, she talked about life being challenging.

Tori Roloff was always a big supporter of breastfeeding, even though it is stigmatized in modern society. One of the biggest debates in the mom communities is whether breastfeeding in public is a do or don’t.

Many new mothers feel awkward doing it, and the societal outlooks don’t help any. But on the other hand, if a mother opts not to breastfeed, they are looked down on as well. It seems that you can’t please everyone.

The public breastfeeding debate often leads new moms to assume that the law is against it, but they would be misinformed. In fact, in most of the US, excluding one state, public breastfeeding is legal.

The only hold out is Idaho. When it comes to public breastfeeding, where the real problem comes is the verbal and provocation instigated by other people. But Tori Roloff is working to make this a non-issue.

Tori Roloff has been very vocal about how uncomfortable and awkward feeding in public was for her with her first child. But then she asked herself why should she feel awkward? After all, it is a natural act.

So she remains very vocal about the importance of removing the stigma associated with breastfeeding in public. She has been so vocal that she has gotten a lot of praise from mothers and medical professionals alike.

The fact that Tori Roloff had a lot of problems breastfeeding Jackson makes her dedication to the cause even stronger. She struggled, but through perseverance, she was able to conquer the difficulties.

Often when mothers have as many problems as Tori, they give up and trade the natural milk for formulas or other options. Sometimes this is a necessity, but Tori felt it was important to be able to do things the natural way.

Tori Roloff’s consistent openness and honesty about her struggles and the struggles of many other mothers garnered a lot of positive attention. With her large social media following, she was inundated with praise.

Her followers thanked her for being so open and backed her when she talked about how women should not be made to feel guilty or degraded when breastfeeding in public. Her followers weren’t the only ones to speak up.

Medical professionals also spoke up in the comment section of her posts. The response was positive, but a few mentioned the recent push to try to get all women to breastfeed.

Many professionals feel the process is important, but the constant push could be setting up certain mothers for depression and emotional distress. This is especially true for those that can’t for reasons beyond their control. It seems this topic is super intricate and one that should be maneuvered with the help of a woman’s doctor.

Tori Roloff isn’t the only Roloff woman who had had some issues when it came to motherhood. Audrey, Tori’s sister in law, also expressed her pregnancy issues via social media. Audrey was super open with how hard it was to manage all the emotions of becoming a mother.

On top of the job of pregnancy, Audrey was trying to balance running her own business as well. Needless to say, there were a lot of emotions floating around.

In fact, in the post, Audrey asked other mompreneurs how they did it. She was raw with her concerns and fears about the shifting of priorities and her ability to make those adjustments smoothly.

She was just reaching out for a little advice and maybe reassurance that she could do it. But the response she got really surprised her. It seems that there was no need to feel as lost as she felt plenty of women were about to reach out to her.

The response to Audrey’s very open and real feelings was especially outstanding from her followers. They all let her know that those feelings are something that almost every woman feels at some point.

They also let her know that every mom has their own way of dealing with the balancing act of working and raising children. But the number one priority is always the baby; after all, most businesses can be automated, but a baby cannot.

Tori Roloff and Audrey are by no means the only “celebrity” moms that have spoken out on the difficulties of motherhood. Many others, like Chrissy Teigen and Alanis Morrissette, have also discussed their issues.

This includes the stigma of breastfeeding. Many of these celebrities have taken to social media and posted pics of them feeding in public to attempt to remove the stigma. Hopefully, if people with this level of visibility keep doing it will become less controversial.

From the beginning, Tori and Zach faced a lot of criticism from outside sources. From their relationship to their deciding to have a family, it seemed like their celebrity status left them open for everyone to say something.

Tori used her social media to show that they may be in the spotlight, but she and her family go through the same struggles as the “normal” person.

One of the reasons that Tori Roloff and her family were so popular was that the show portrayed what life was like for the family. In fact, it was so well received that it got renewed for a second season without much thought.

Many critics loved the open and honest portrayal of what life was like for the family dealing with the challenges of living with dwarfism. The show never tried to exploit this situation, and that made it feel real and uplifting.

The Roloff family wasn’t shy about sharing everything they could with the audience. In fact, they took the opportunity to share and educate people on life and the struggles of living with dwarfism. When the opportunity came up to have their own show, there was never a hesitation.

In fact, Amy told an interviewer one time that she jumped at the chance. There were no shows that depicted a family with dwarfism accurately, and she felt she and her family could do that.

The show launched the entire family into reality stardom. Why was it so captivating? Not only did it introduce people to a family that lived with dwarfism but in general, just a functional family.

The show took the audience through the life of a family that was just like everyone else. The only exception was some members living with dwarfism and yet were portrayed as an appealing, real, and dynamic family.

After Amy and Matt split, it wasn’t long until Matt had found a new love, Caryn Chandler. The friends had been flirting for years as Caryn had been present in the family’s life for a long time as the farm manager.

She had been running the farm for a decade when Matt was able to act on his feelings and begin dating her. The two seem to be very happy.

But like with all relationships in the public eye, there are always rumors that start to circulate. The big one was that the couple was on the brink of splitting. This rumor probably started when it was announced that Caryn was no longer the farm manager.

Matt was quick to respond to the rumors. He let the world know that they had not split and that they were still very happy.

Zach and Tori’s fans all start getting excited when news that there is a second bundle of joy on the way. The rumors really took off after Zach shared a video of his wife wearing baggy clothes and eating.

Tori rather quickly shot down the rumors and said that she thought that asking a woman if she was pregnant could be hurtful if that woman was unable to conceive. She also clarified she liked baggy clothes and food.

Then news of a car accident hit the internet, and her fans were scared. She and Jackson had both been in the car when they were hit, and the car totaled. The accident was pretty serious, but both mom and son walked away just fine.

She confirmed this in a post with a picture of their new car. Tori Roloff let her fans know she was fine, and so was Jackson. She went on to say that it could have been the scariest moment of her life, though.

Tori and Zach don’t always get happy comments on their posts, though. During a family vacation to Hawaii, the couple posted a picture of Jackson in a boat san life vest, and the post went crazy with a concerned citizen.

They criticized them for being negligent. But Grandpa quickly posted a pic with Jackson in the vest and said that when on the water, the parents definitely made sure Jackson was wearing safety gear.

Tori took to social media again to wish all her fans a very Happy Thanksgiving from the family. The picture had everyone, including the newest addition, Lilah.

The little one had been born just two weeks before the holiday, and the questions were flying around on whether the little girl would have the same dwarfism gene as her dad and brother. Tori was very familiar with the feeling of waiting for the result of the test.

The fans of the couple had eagerly been waiting for the birth of the new little one. Of course, the wait was full of ups and downs and tons of questions. Eventually, the questions were answered…

Lilah did have the same dwarfism gene. Tori and Zach haven’t talked about it much because the fans are sure that this family is ready to handle whatever challenges come up and do so with honesty and heart.