HEALTHJoe Manganiello Reveals 'Brutally Difficult' Health Battle That Resulted in Life-Saving Organ Amputation
Joe Manganiello went down an 'unorthodox path' after doctors struggled to understand his symptoms.
June 23 2026, Published 3:34 p.m. ET
Joe Manganiello reflected on a "brutally difficult" health battle that forced him into a life-saving organ amputation.
The Magic Mike actor, 49, detailed the "cascade of autoimmune-related illnesses" that attacked his skin, thyroid, eyes, lungs and digestive system, in his upcoming memoir, Bloodlines, set to hit bookshelves on October 13.
Inside Joe Manganiello's 7-Year Health Battle
Joe Manganiello 'struggled to stay alive' as doctors had 'few answers.'
During the seven-year fight for this life, Manganiello was "plagued by chronic pain, a life-saving organ amputation, existential crisis, and a prolonged fight for survival that left doctors with few answers and no clear explanation," according to an official synopsis.
The True Blood star "struggled to stay alive" as doctors failed to understand his ailments, sending him down an "unorthodox path."
Joe Manganiello's Health Battle Led Him on Deep Dive of Family
Joe Manganiello discovered ancestors who survived the genocide in Armenia.
"Hamans, pagan rituals, ancient myths, long lost family records, and the rebirth of his own spirituality," the passage listed.
The agonizing health battle led to a "deep drive into his own bloodline," where Manganiello discovered ancestors who survived the Armenian genocide and others who were living with chronic illness.
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Joe Manganiello Called It the 'Most Brutally Difficult Time' of His Life
Joe Manganiello confessed he wouldn't wish his health battle on his 'worst enemy.'
"It was the most brutally difficult time of my life, one I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy, but also my greatest adventure," he told People in a statement. "I hope that what I went through on this journey can give readers hope that answers and healing may lie for them on the other side of whatever they are fighting through. The process of writing this book gave me the gift of perspective that helped me to see that my suffering was a cocoon from which I would emerge forever changed.”
It's unclear when Manganiello experienced the health issues.
Joe Manganiello and Sofía Vergara Split in July 2023
Joe Manganiello and Sofía Vergara tied the knot in November 2015.
Manganiello also experienced setbacks in his personal life in recent years, including his split from his ex-wife, Sofía Vergara, in July 2023 after nearly eight years of marriage.
He has since moved on with Caitlin O'Connor, whom he began dating in September 2023 after meeting at a party. The pair publicly confirmed their relationship months later, after being spotted attending a December 2023 gala.
As OK! previously reported, Manganiello referred to O'Connor as his fiancée for the first time publicly while accepting his Career Spotlight Award in October 2025.
"Caitlin is very excited to be engaged to Joe," a source exclusively told OK! in December 2025, noting Manganiello "certainly sounded very proud and excited to call her his fiancée" when breaking news of their engagement two months ago.
