Joe Manganiello’s Fiancée Caitlin O’Connor Opens Up About Their New Life in Pittsburgh

Caitlin O’Connor says moving back to western Pennsylvania with fiancé Joe Manganiello has given the couple a welcome sense of balance after years spent building their careers in Los Angeles.

The actress and model, 37, recently opened up about the pair’s relocation to the Pittsburgh area, explaining that the move has allowed them to enjoy a quieter home base while still traveling frequently for work. O’Connor and Manganiello, 49, became engaged in 2025 after beginning their relationship in 2023.

Pittsburgh Feels Like Home for Both of Them

O’Connor told Realtor.com that the move felt especially meaningful because both she and Manganiello have deep roots in the region.

“Joe and I are both from the Pittsburgh area,” she said. “I am from Uniontown, and he is from Mount Lebanon, and our high schools even faced each other for football and basketball.”

For O’Connor, returning home together has felt like “an amazing new adventure.”

The couple reportedly relocated at the end of 2025 after spending years in Los Angeles.

The Couple Wanted a Slower Pace

Although both continue to work in entertainment, O’Connor said their Pittsburgh-area home has given them more peace and quiet.

“It’s been nice to slow down, but our jobs require us to travel,” she explained.

She added that they enjoy the calmer atmosphere of Mt. Lebanon and have felt warmly welcomed by the local community.

“The people of Pittsburgh are so nice,” O’Connor said. “They’re welcoming, warm, helpful and genuine.”

She also praised Pittsburgh residents as hard-working and direct, qualities she said made returning home even more enjoyable.

Travel Remains a Big Part of Their Relationship

Despite moving away from Hollywood, O’Connor and Manganiello remain busy professionally and often travel for work.

O’Connor said they have developed one important rule that helps keep their relationship strong: they try not to spend more than a week apart.

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

That approach allows them to maintain a home base in Pennsylvania without sacrificing career opportunities elsewhere.

O’Connor Says Personal Relationships Matter More Than Career Milestones

After two decades in the entertainment industry, O’Connor said she has become less focused on traditional markers of professional success.

“I love what I do for work, but my personal goals and relationships are more meaningful than goal posts in my career,” she said.

She still pointed to her work with female-driven media company Arsenic TV as one of the highlights of her career, particularly when Bloomberg Businessweek interviewed her about the project.

Even with years of experience behind her, O’Connor said she still approaches new opportunities with curiosity.

“I’ve been here for 20 years, but I feel like a rookie,” she admitted.

Why They Decided to Leave Los Angeles

O’Connor previously said the couple spent considerable time discussing whether they should remain in Los Angeles.

She told Fox News Digital that concerns about crime, combined with changes in the entertainment industry, influenced their decision.

“The right house happened to come up,” she explained, saying the Pittsburgh property felt perfect for them.

Her comments about crime reflected her personal experience and perception. Public data, however, showed that Los Angeles recorded historically low homicide levels in 2025, according to reporting from the Los Angeles Times.

The couple’s decision therefore appears to have been driven by several factors rather than a single issue.

Remote Auditions Made the Move Easier

O’Connor also said the entertainment industry’s shift toward remote work played a major role in making relocation possible.

She argued that actors no longer need to live in Los Angeles full time because auditions increasingly take place online, while productions are filmed in cities across the U.S. and overseas.

“You can really work from anywhere,” she said.

That flexibility allowed O’Connor and Manganiello to choose Pittsburgh as their home base while continuing to travel wherever their jobs require.

For the couple, the move appears to have created exactly what they were looking for: a quieter place to come home to without stepping away from the careers they built elsewhere.

Featured Image: instagram.com/caitlin__oconnor