Joe Manganiello has opened up more about his surprising health battle, which he kept secret for almost a decade.
The “True Blood” alum said in an Instagram video Wednesday that he “suffered in silence while battling a mysterious and deadly disease,” which he only told a small circle of loved ones. He recalled seeing “the best doctors in the world,” but said the doctors couldn’t understand the beginning of his symptoms.
“All of their attempts to treat me with powerful biological drugs only worsened my symptoms and subsequently caused many brutal side effects that plagued me for years,” Manganiello said.
“Then, in an attempt to buy time, I underwent very serious surgeries and procedures that involved amputating parts of my body, leaving me so weak that I could not even stand up or walk at times,” he continued.
The “Magic Mike” alum, 49, also said he spent “many months on massive amounts of medication while dealing with excruciating bouts of chronic pain.” He said his memoir, “Bloodlines,” to be published Oct. 13, chronicles his 10-year search for answers and deep dives into his family’s history.
“Maybe what happened to me wasn’t a coincidence,” he says. “And in order to heal, my mind, body, and spirit all needed to be in harmony, and I needed to be open to truly radical and unconventional techniques and ideas that went beyond the boundaries of Western medicine.”
Manganiello shared a message of support for those who may be going through a similar situation.
“Even though you’re out there suffering, there’s hope,” he said.
Manganiello reveals in the synopsis for “Bloodlines” that he dealt with “a series of autoimmune-related diseases” that affected his thyroid, digestive system, skin, lungs and eyes.
For seven years, he said, he had been dealing with “chronic pain, the amputation of life-saving organs, an existential crisis, and a prolonged fight for survival that gave doctors few answers or clarity.”
Manganiello turned to alternative medicine, including “shamanism, pagan rituals, ancient mythology, long-lost family records, and the rebirth of his own spirituality” to treat his illness.
The former Deal or No Deal Island host also did extensive research into his family’s family tree, discovering ancestors who survived the Armenian Genocide and others who lived with chronic illnesses.
Manganiello has not disclosed in what year his health problems began.
He was married to actress Sofia Vergara, 53, from 2015 to 2024. Modern Family alum Sofia Vergara said in January 2024 that the reason they broke up was because she didn’t want to have children with him and become an “old mother.”
“I feel it’s unfair to the baby,” she told El Pais.
Vergara is already a mother to 34-year-old son Manolo with ex-husband Joe Gonzalez.
Manganiello is currently engaged to actress Caitlin O’Connor, 36, and the couple announced it last October.
