Earlier this year, Joe Manganiello broke his silence about health issues threatening his life. Since then, he has opened up about life and what he’s learned from the experience. In particular, he also discussed what is cost him in his personal life.
Joe Manganiello Is Known For A Number Of Works, From True Blood To Magic Mike
As an actor, Manganiello’s breakout role was Flash Thompson in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man. He later gained fame as Alcide Herveaux in HBO’s True Blood for five seasons.
Over the years, Manganiello became known for his work in a variety of films. These include Magic Mike, What to Expect When You’re Expecting, and Sabotage. He is also known for playing Slade Wilson/Deathstroke in the DC Extended Universe.
For seven of the last ten years, the actor was secretly fighting a mysterious autoimmune illness which nearly cost him his life. In a new memoir, Bloodlines, which is set for an October 13 release, he opened up about recovering from a health battle that led to “major organ amputation.”
According to Manganiello, he believed that this issue might have even cost him his marriage to actress Sofia Vergara. However, looking back, he felt, “I can’t believe I’m alive. I feel like I was reborn.”
The actor felt that issues became apparent shortly after his marriage to Vergara. Things started with excruciating abdominal pain that impacted his ability to walk. His digestive tract ulcerated, and he endured fevers, headaches, and fatigue. He also started bleeding from his rectum. As he shared, “I was getting sicker and sicker.”
Over a seven-year period, Manganiello lost around 60 lbs. He underwent various colonoscopies and an emergency surgery in 2016. This even required one of his intestines to be removed.
The Actor Felt That The Autoimmune Disease Ultimately Cost Him His Marriage
Manganiello shared, “It happened to me, and it’s the truth, and I have all the scars to prove it. [Autoimmune] conditions are a dumping ground for things [doctors] don’t understand. They start running you through this gauntlet of drugs.”
When prescribed medications were unable to help, Manganiello turned to things like hydrocodone pills, fentanyl patches, and marijuana. This was a struggle for him following 13 years of sobriety. He recalled, “I didn’t feel like I deserved to say that I was sober.” He added, “I had to put the pain and the condition first.”
The illness already took a toll on his marriage. He even recalled a moment when Vergara refused to hug him. One particular issue for him was having children. Saying that they had considered egg donors, he ultimately didn’t want to die, leaving Vergara with a child “who wasn’t biologically hers.”
Currently, Manganiello said he’s off medication and symptom-free. He is currently exploring life with his fiancée Caitlin O’Connor following his 2023 divorce. The actor shared, “Caitlin came into my life at this point where it was obvious to me that [she] was the direction to go.” He also shared that they are considering children in their future. As he explained, “For seven years I thought I was going to be dead the next week. The world has opened back up to me.”
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John Witiw has been a writer since at least 2015. He’s covered a variety of topics, especially when it comes to film and television.