Joe Manganiello, Sofia Vergara are dating, sources say

Are Joe Manganiello and Sofia Vergara dating? Various outlets had sources answering that question with a “yes� on Monday.

If it’s true, the combination of raw “True Blood� hotness with sassy “Modern Family� va-va-voom would be quite the awesome display of superior genes. Not even going to pretend we’re not gaga over this possibility.

“They just started to hang out,� a source told People, which got a “no comment� from both actors’ reps. E! News had the same line.

Of course, we’re feeling a bit baited-and-switched after People just last week named 37-year-old Manganiello its “hottest bachelor.� Kind of a small window of opportunity there!

But he’d dropped some serious hints when he described his type.

“Girls that do squats. I love a butt. Sofia Vergara, that’s it. She’s got that Latin thing going,� the actor said. “She’s got the butt, she’s got curves, she’s got a beautiful face, beautiful hair, just gorgeous. And she’s feisty!�

He described himself as “a hot-blooded person� who needed to date someone who could handle “spicy.�

“They’re having fun and getting to know each other,� a source said to Us Weekly, which first reported the possible pairing. The two were introduced at the White House Correspondents’ Assn. dinner on May 3, when Vergara was still with then-fiancé Nick Loeb.

The actress, who turns 42 on Thursday, split days later. He’d proposed in July 2012 during a trip to Mexico with a bunch of friends to celebrate her 40th birthday. Vergara and Loeb, who met in 2010, were rumored to have broken up once before, in May 2012.

Posting news of the split on her WhoSay page in May, the actress blamed conflicting work schedules for the breakup, saying she and Loeb were “still very close� even though the relationship was “not fun anymore.�

So, moving on ...

Manganiello and Vergara have actually been linked in the past -- before they ever met. Specifically, in September 2012 they were named TV’s Sexiest Man and TV’s Sexiest Woman, respectively, in a reader poll conducted by People.

Follow Christie D’Zurilla on Twitter @theCDZ and Google+. Follow the Ministry of Gossip on Twitter @LATcelebs.