Sofia Vergara's lawyer brands ex Nick Loeb's pro-life stance on former couple's frozen embryos 'a bid to gain public exposure'

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Sofia Vergara believes her ex-partner Nick Loeb is using their frozen embryos to gain 'public exposure'.

The Modern Family star, 44, and the businessman, 41, are locked in a legal battle over the future of the female embryos, which he filed a suit to protect last year.

And following the latest court appearance to determine their future, the actress' legal team released a statement saying Nick's pro-life stance is an effort to gain more exposure in the public domain.

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Locked in a legal battle: Sofia Vergara believes her ex-partner Nick Loeb is using their frozen embroyos to gain 'public exposure'

Speaking to the New York Post's Page Six column, Sofia's lawyer, Fred Silberberg, said in a statement: 'Oddly, Loeb wants us to believe that he supports a woman's right to privacy and to make a choice concerning reproduction. 

'However, he seems to believe that his celebrity ex-fiancée, Sofía Vergara, does not have those same rights, especially if it means giving him more public exposure.'

Silberberg went on to blast Loeb's pro-life stance, referencing the face two of his former girlfriends had abortions.

He said: 'Loeb, while claiming to be in support of the "right to life", disclosed that he had gotten two different women pregnant prior to his relationship with Vergara and that the pregnancies were terminated.'

Battling: The Modern Family star, 44, and the businessman, 41 (pictured), are locked in a legal battle over the future of the female embryos, which he filed a suit to protect last year

He went on to say that he wished to question both women in court as their own action contradicted Loeb's current argument. 

He went on to claim that 'Loeb's actions prior to his relationship with Vergara seem contradictory to the claims he is making in this lawsuit'. 

Silberberg finished his statement asking why the businessman would want to bring the embryos to full-term with Sofia while two previous lovers had had terminations.

Responding to the statement, Nick told MailOnline: 'The constitutional right of privacy is used to allow a woman to end a pregnancy, but now California has waved it to end a life.

'So is it really about privacy or about ending lives, how can one use contradictory arguments to accomplish the same result? The truth is this is about the ability to destroy life, no matter at what the cost.'

At war: Sofia's lawyer said: 'He seems to believe that his celebrity ex-fiancée, Sofía Vergara, does not have those same rights, especially if it means giving him more public exposure'

'Loeb's actions prior to his relationship with Vergara seem contradictory': The lawyer went on to blast Loeb's pro-life stance, referencing the face two of his former girlfriends had abortions 

Regarding his past partners' decision to terminate pregnancies, he said: 'I always contended my beliefs in right to life came after and as a result of this, I never contended and have conceded that I didn’t have strong beliefs one way or another before this. And have never contradicted that. 

'This is Sofia’s attempt to expose, intimidate, and humiliate women who have had abortions in order to get her way. We all know she has a pattern of this.' 

The former couple have gone to court to decide the future of the two embryos they had frozen while they were a couple.

While the actress is believed to want the embryos destroyed, her ex wants to have them implanted in a surrogate to realise his dream of becoming a father. 

His response: Addressing the claims, Loeb told MailOnline: 'The constitutional right of privacy is used to allow a woman to end a pregnancy, but now California has waved it to end a life

He added: 'So is it really about privacy or about ending lives, how can one use contradictory arguments to accomplish the same result? this is about the ability to destroy life, no matter at what the cost'

He hit back at his ex, saying: 'This is Sofia’s attempt to expose, intimidate, and humiliate women who have had abortions in order to get her way. We all know she has a pattern of this'

The couple are said to have a written agreement stating neither can take action over the embryos without the other's consent, and Nick is keen to use a surrogate to have children and raise them alone without any parental or financial support from Sofia.  

During a court session to determine the outcome, a California judge ruled he must name two of his former girlfriends who underwent abortions 20 years ago.

However, Nick has appealed the decision, which has led to Sofia's lawyer outlining his reasons for wanting to call the women to the stand. 

In December 2015, a pro-life law firm joined Nick's fight to secure the embryos he claims are his 'daughters'. 

Questions: Silberberg finished his statement asking why the businessman would want to bring the embryos to full-term with Sofia while two previous lovers had had terminations

At odds: Sofia and Nick have gone to court to decide the future of two embryos they had frozen while a couple - with Nick wishes to raise the children and Sofia wants them destroyed 

Thomas More Society - a Chicago-based law firm which defends Christian causes with a focus on those involved in the pro-life movement - filed an amicus brief, which is also known as a friend of the court brief, in Los Angeles.

The law firm did so to aid Nick on his quest to gain control of the embryos and on the behalf of the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the National Catholic Bioethics Center.

The couple - who have been split for a year - planned to have a baby via surrogate Nick claims.

In the court brief, seen by the DailyMail.com, the firm offers to support the Onion Crunch entrepreneur to get custody of two embryos, which they claim are human beings and female.

The brief reads: '[Nick is the] "father" of the female embryos before the Court, whom he views as "his daughters," and that the "Female Embryos have been conceived."

'A review of the current relevant science establishes that the embryos are human beings at fertilisation and may not be treated, as some courts have done, as property, or as less than fully human, and without rights to parental or governmental protection.' 

How they were: The Hot Pursuit actress and the businessman (pictured in 2011) started dating in 2010, and subsequently got engaged in 2012 before splitting in 2014

Nick first filed a lawsuit in California against Sofia in April 2015, seeking custody of the embryos in order to be able to implant them via a surrogate.

In October 2015, a judge ruled that Nick could move forward with a civil case which is due back in court next month.

Court documents alleged Sofia bullied Nick but told her ex-fiance she had started IVF for him to become a father.

The legal papers claims the 43-year-old actress told Nick she was pro-life and that she promised each embryo created would ultimately be implanted into a surrogate.  

The Hot Pursuit actress and the producer started dating in 2010, and subsequently got engaged in 2012 before splitting in 2014.

Sofia is now married to Magic Mike actor Joe Manganiello and has a son Manolo, 24, from her first marriage to childhood sweetheart Joe Gonzalez.

The present: Sofia is now married to Joe Manganiello (pictured together on Friday) and also has a son Manolo, 24, from her first marriage to Joe Gonzalez