Actor Joe Manganiello has disclosed a seven-year struggle with severe autoimmune-related illnesses that led to a life-saving amputation and an existential crisis. The 49-year-old star, previously married to Sofia Vergara, will recount this previously undisclosed health ordeal in his forthcoming memoir, titled 'Bloodlines,' set for release on October 13.
Manganiello described facing "a cascade of autoimmune-related illnesses" that impacted his skin, thyroid, eyes, lungs, and digestive system. This lengthy health battle was characterized by chronic pain and a "prolonged fight for survival" that left medical professionals without clear answers.
Frustrated by the limitations of traditional medicine, Manganiello explored alternative and spiritual paths. His journey included delving into his family genealogy, where he discovered ancestors who had survived the Armenian genocide and lived with chronic illness. The book is expected to explore themes of illness, inheritance, masculinity, faith, ambition, and identity.
"More than a memoir of medical crisis, it is a searching account of what happens when the life you have constructed can no longer contain the truth of what you carry," according to the press release for 'Bloodlines.' The memoir is described as a deeply personal and emotionally expansive account of how the past influences the present, examining strength, survival, and selfhood.
Manganiello and actress Caitlin O'Connor, known for her role in 'Two and a Half Men,' were first linked in September 2023 and announced their engagement in October 2025, though the proposal occurred earlier that June. Manganiello and Vergara finalized their divorce in July 2023 after seven years of marriage.