"Modern Family" star Sofia Vergara and Onion Crunch ex Nick Loeb were best known for public outbursts. However, it turns out their split stems from something, I mean SOMEONE else from her past.

The Columbian beauty explained on her WhoSay profile why she separated from Loeb.

"Not that anyone should care, but in order to not give the press the chance to invent crazy and hurtful drama, I prefer to tell my fans personally that Nick and I have desided [sic] to be apart," Vergara wrote.

"We have been having too many problems with figuring out how to spend time together and becouse [sic] of my work and now his, it's been getting worse and worse, not fun anymore."

She concluded with, "We are still very close but we belive [sic] is the best thing for us right now."

We totally understand why that could end a relationship, but sources close to the actress told Mail Online a former flame may have got in the way. In the '90s she was linked to Miami nightclub owner Joe Paciello, who did time for his part in a mob-related murder.

"The split was in part due to Chris and the fact he and Sofia are still friends, on some level Sofia will always care about Chris and that drove Nick crazy," an insider reveals.

"Nick was jealous because Sofia and Chris are close and she is investing in some of his clubs in Miami. And to be honest, for Sofia, Chris has always been the one that got away."

Apparently they stayed in touch while Paciello went to jail, and Vergara is investing in his nightclubs. It was at his club Story where Vergara and Loeb had their infamous NYE falling out.

"On some level she will always care about him and that drove Nick crazy," the source admitted. "Every time they went to Miami, they saw Chris and even though Sofia said there wasn't anything like that between them anymore, I think Nick was jealous of Chris' hold over Sofia."

Scandalous.

Do you think an ex really got in the way? Will Vergara try to win him back now that Loeb is gone? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.