EXCLUSIVE: Joe Manganiello’s Fiancée Caitlin O’Connor Opens Up About Their ‘Amazing’ New Life in Pittsburgh After Leaving L.A.

Actress and model Caitlin O'Connor says moving back to the Pittsburgh area with her fiancé, actor Joe Manganiello, has been an "amazing new adventure," as she opened up about how the couple keeps their relationship alive despite demanding careers that require them to travel almost constantly.

After spending years in Los Angeles, where they both worked steadily in the entertainment industry, O'Connor, 37, and Manganiello, 49—who got engaged in 2025—packed up their lives at the end of that year and returned to their western Pennsylvania roots in search of a slower pace of life.

Now, after settling down back home, the model has opened up to Realtor.com® about her favorite part of living in Pittsburgh, how the city's people have won her over, and the secret she and Manganiello rely on to keep the spark alive in their romance.

"Joe and I are both from the Pittsburgh area," O'Connor shares. "I am from Uniontown, and he is from Mount Lebanon, and our high schools even faced each other for football and basketball. Moving home together has been an amazing new adventure!"

While the lovebirds' careers continue to keep them on the move, the actress notes that having a home base in western Pennsylvania has brought them a comforting sense of balance.

Actress and model Caitlin O'Connor has revealed why moving back to the Pittsburgh area with her fiancé, actor Joe Manganiello, has been an "amazing new adventure." (Daniele Venturelli/Getty Images) Manganiello, 49, and O'Connor, 37 (Instagram Caitlin O'Connor)

"It’s been nice to slow down, but our jobs require us to travel. We like the peace and quiet of Mt. Lebanon, though!" she explains.

O'Connor gushes about the move, noting that reconnecting with the community she grew up around has brought the couple an immense amount of love and pride for their home state, where she says they have been quickly embraced by the locals.

"The people of Pittsburgh are so nice! They’re welcoming, warm, helpful and genuine. Not to mention Pittsburghers are no-nonsense and hard workers as well! I love being home," she says.

Soon after they made the move, O'Connor explains that they had decided to relocate, at least in part, because of the decline in Los Angeles' once-thriving entertainment industry. She says she and Manganiello realized they would still be able to continue their careers even if they no longer lived near Hollywood.

And it seems they have managed to do exactly that, with the model and actress explaining that they are still busy traveling across the globe, while revealing the one rule they follow that prevents their hectic schedules from disrupting their relationship.

"Joe and I travel together and try not to spend more than a week apart. I think traveling together makes our relationship stronger," she says.

That focus on personal relationships extends beyond her romance. Reflecting on more than two decades in the entertainment industry, O'Connor says she measures success differently than many people might expect.

"There are so many moments that have been meaningful to me in my life, but not necessarily moments in my career that make me say, 'I actually did it,'" she says. "I love what I do for work, but my personal goals and relationships are more meaningful than goal posts in my career."

Still, she acknowledges a few professional milestones stand out, including her work with Arsenic TV, a female-driven media company for which she regularly hosts content.

"My work at Arsenic TV was very fulfilling and fun for me," O'Connor says. "When Bloomberg Businessweek asked me for a sit-down interview, that made me say, 'I must be on to something here.'"

Even after spending 20 years in the industry, O'Connor says she approaches each opportunity with the same enthusiasm she had when she was starting out.

"I've been here for 20 years, but I feel like a rookie," she admits. "Every day is new for me, and I approach all things with new fresh eyes—or at least I try to!"

Now, after settling back home, the model is exclusively opening up about her favorite part of living in Pittsburgh, why she says the city's people have won her over, and the secret she and Manganiello rely on to keep the spark alive despite their demanding careers. (John Parra/Getty Images for Sandals Resorts) Actor Joe Manganiello's fiancee Caitlin O'Connor has revealed that the couple moved from Los Angeles because of the "all-time high" crime rates and diminishing acting industry. (Allen Berezovsky/Getty Images)

That fresh approach to her career is exactly what led O'Connor to consider a move to Pittsburgh in the first place, after she and Manganiello realized that residing in Los Angeles was no longer the best option for them.

In February, she opened up about their relocation, pointing to Los Angeles' crime rates and the dwindling entertainment industry as being the main motivators for their relocation.

O'Connor, who began dating the "True Blood" star in 2023, shortly before his divorce from Sofia Vergara was finalized, told Fox News Digital that the couple no longer felt safe in the City of Angels.

She notes that the couple spent a good amount of time debating whether to remain in L.A. but ultimately decided the time was right for them to move when they happened across the perfect Pittsburgh home.

“The crime in Los Angeles is at an all-time high. We were thinking about it for a long time, and the right house happened to come up. We went to look at it in Pittsburgh, and it was perfect for us," she says.

While The Los Angeles Times reported in January that 2025 was the city's safest year since 1959 per capita—and experienced its lowest homicide total in over half a century—several celebrities living in the California hub have been impacted by burglaries in recent months, including Brad Pitt and Nicole Kidman.

In March, the Los Angeles Police Department issued new warnings to residents about the "sophisticated" methods being used by criminals to gain access to homes, including online research and surveillance of intended victims.

Still, O'Connor notes that there were other reasons behind her and Manganiello's move—namely the slump in the entertainment industry in the city.

“L.A. is no longer the entertainment capital of the world. Actors do not audition there anymore. Many casting directors don’t have offices there anymore," she says.

She said that many auditions now take place over Zoom and "a lot of premieres happen in New York," adding that the entertainment hot spots are changing as studios expand their reach.

“There are studios being built in New Jersey, and things are moving overseas. Many projects are being filmed overseas, even by professionals who have worked in L.A. on set their whole lives. The industry has moved. It’s no longer there," she says.

O'Connor explains that the COVID-19 pandemic transformed the industry, giving actors more freedom when it comes to their living situations.

“You can really work from anywhere, and you can travel to wherever you’re filming from your home base. That’s why we decided to switch it up and have our home base be in Pittsburgh," she says.