Joe Manganiello's new memoir, "Bloodlines," details a claim that an ex-boyfriend of Sofia Vergara placed a voodoo curse on him, contributing to the mystery illness that nearly cost him his life and ultimately impacted his marriage to the actress. The memoir also touches on their divorce and other career-related anecdotes.
Health Battle and Marriage Strain
Manganiello, who married Vergara in 2015 and finalized their divorce in 2024, described a seven-year health battle that began shortly after their wedding. He was hospitalized for two months with an illness that led to the removal of his entire large intestine. During this period, he lost 60 pounds in two weeks.
"When I woke up after the ten-hour procedure, she was there at the foot of my bed to inform me that the surgery had saved my life but had left me with an ostomy bag for an indefinite amount of time, possibly forever," Manganiello wrote.
He stated that his illness and the subsequent physical and emotional toll contributed to the decline of their marriage. "I started to live separately on the opposite side of the house during the day, and with the loss of my enthusiasm for life and the death of the dream of her and me becoming parents together, the fire between us began to go out," he recalled.
The couple had attempted to start a family, undergoing IVF for two years without success. They considered using a surrogate but decided against it due to Manganiello's health issues, a decision that reportedly cost them $200,000.
The Voodoo Curse Claim
In his memoir, Manganiello recounts a conversation with a shaman in Cuba who informed him he was ill and that "something is wrong with his intestines." According to Manganiello, the shaman claimed that an ex from Vergara's past, who still harbored romantic feelings for her, had placed a voodoo curse on him.
"Someone from your past is still in love with you. He put a voodoo curse on your husband. He did it in New Orleans," Manganiello quoted the shaman as saying. The shaman suggested meeting in Ecuador for a cleansing ritual.
Manganiello expressed shock at the shaman's knowledge of his situation, as details about his illness had not been public. He speculated that the ex in question could have been Nick Loeb, Vergara's former fiancé, whom she dated before Manganiello. Loeb, in response to Manganiello's claims, stated, "I pray they find Jesus — not another shaman."
Manganiello also considered the possibility that Vergara herself might have been cursed by a past partner, a thought he acknowledged as bizarre but entertained due to the shaman's accuracy.
Divorce and Career Speculation
Manganiello detailed the process of their separation, stating he moved out of their shared home before filing for divorce. He also mentioned a $500,000 loan he received from Vergara to prevent a bond company from taking over the film "Bottom of the 9th" during post-production. At the time of their divorce, he still owed her $400,000.
He also addressed comments Vergara made about their split, which he found bothersome. "She told me that I was wrong, that I wasn’t healthy after all, and that I was going to get sick again. She also let me know that in her opinion, no one was going to love me when they found out the full extent of what I had," Manganiello wrote, describing it as their last conversation.
Separately, Manganiello speculated that Tom Cruise may have influenced the decision to cast someone else in the Prime series "Reacher," a role he was reportedly being considered for. He suggested that Cruise, as an executive producer on the show, could have vetoed his casting due to his past relationship with Vergara.