Joe Manganiello details health battle and marriage split in new memoir

Actor Joe Manganiello is set to release his memoir, ‘Bloodlines’, on October 13, which contains significant revelations regarding his seven-year battle with a life-threatening autoimmune disease and the breakdown of his marriage to Sofía Vergara.

Manganiello describes a harrowing medical journey that began shortly after their 2015 wedding, involving severe abdominal pain, weight loss of approximately 60 pounds, and an emergency 2016 surgery to remove part of his intestine. He credits Vergara with making the lifesaving decision to authorize the procedure while he was under anesthesia.

However, the actor alleges that the illness caused their relationship to become ‘devoid of any emotionality whatsoever’. He claims Vergara refused to offer him affection, such as hugs, even when he pleaded for them, and allegedly ridiculed him for adopting a Chihuahua named Bubbles, which provided him emotional support during a period of suicidal ideation.

Manganiello also disputes Vergara’s previous public explanation for their 2023 divorce, which centered on differing views regarding having children. He suggests the marriage was instead deeply impacted by the strain of his undiagnosed health crisis. Meanwhile, Manganiello’s fiancée, Caitlin O’Connor, recently celebrated their three-year anniversary in Las Vegas.