Joe Manganiello unveils massive dragon tattoo covering surgery scars
The actor got the three-foot ink to symbolize his battle with a near-fatal autoimmune disease and cover scars from a 2016 surgery.
Joe Manganiello has revealed a sprawling three-foot dragon tattoo that covers the surgical scars on the right side of his body. The actor shared the extensive inkwork on Instagram, explaining it as a way to reclaim agency after a prolonged and severe illness.
Manganiello battled a near-fatal autoimmune disease for seven years, which led to emergency intestinal surgery in 2016 where his large intestine was removed. He detailed this struggle in his new memoir, "Bloodlines."
"In chapter four [of ‘Bloodlines’], I related my struggle with the illness to my body sending out knights to fight a (western) dragon that didn’t exist,” Manganiello wrote in his Instagram caption. “The soldiers would then punch holes throughout my body when they couldn’t find an enemy.”
He described the tattoo as his effort to "take back what little agency I felt that I had, and to signal to my body to stop attacking the dragon… because the (eastern) dragon was me…". The tattoo, which progresses from a black outline to vibrant red and orange coloring, visually represents this internal battle.
Last week, Manganiello shared graphic images from his hospital stay following the surgery, documenting his significant weight loss. He stated he lost 60 pounds in the two weeks after the operation. The images included a close-up of his abdomen after the reconnection surgery, which removed his ostomy bag.
The actor's memoir also touches on the impact of his health crisis on his personal life, including his marriage to Sofía Vergara. He wrote in the book that Vergara ridiculed him and refused comfort during his illness. Vergara responded by posting about "narcissistic men" on social media.
Manganiello, who is now engaged to Caitlin O’Connor, stated in a recent interview that his illness likely played a role in his divorce from Vergara. He expressed that looking back at photos of them together early in their relationship is heartbreaking, as they were unaware of the challenges ahead. He admitted to feeling guilty for a long time about the impact his health issues had on others.