NEWSJoe Manganiello Claims Ex-Wife Sofía Vergara 'Ridiculed' Him During Scary Health Battle and Suicidal Thoughts: 'I Had to Give My Gun Away'
Joe Manganiello opened up about his devastating health battle and marriage to Sofía Vergara.
Oct. 7 2026, Updated 1:39 p.m. ET
Joe Manganiello made explosive claims about his marriage to Sofía Vergara while detailing the health battle that nearly killed him.
The actor alleged that Vergara "ridiculed" him and refused to comfort him while he was seriously ill.
Joe Manganiello's Health Battle Began After Their Wedding
Joe Manganiello expressed that he dealt with severe abdominal pain.
Manganiello, 49, says his health problems started shortly after he and Vergara, 54, married in 2015.
The actor recalled experiencing excruciating abdominal pain that became so severe he could barely walk.
He also dealt with blistering rashes, headaches, exhaustion and rectal bleeding.
"I was getting sicker and sicker," he shared.
Over the next seven years, Manganiello says he lost 60 pounds, underwent multiple colonoscopies and required emergency surgery in 2016.
Doctors removed part of his intestines, leaving him dependent on an ostomy bag.
"It happened to me, and it's the truth, and I have all the scars to prove it," he detailed.
Joe Manganiello Says He Struggled With Suicidal Thoughts
Joe Manganiello revealed he once gave away his gun while struggling with suicidal thoughts.
Manganiello also opened up about an especially dark period in 2019, when he adopted his five-pound dog, Bubbles.
The actor says he had been experiencing suicidal thoughts.
"I had to give my gun away because I kept thinking about it, and then the dog came," Manganiello said. "I went from being the patient to the caretaker."
According to Manganiello, Vergara also "ridiculed" him over Bubbles.
He claimed she refused to hug him, even when he begged her for affection.
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Joe Manganiello Disputes Sofia Vergara's Divorce Explanation
Joe Manganiello disputed Sofía Vergara's previous explanation for why their marriage ended.
Vergara previously said their disagreement over having children ultimately contributed to their divorce.
"My marriage broke up because my husband was younger; he wanted to have kids, and I didn't want to be an old mom," she said in 2024.
"I feel it's not fair to the baby," she added.
Manganiello says he eventually abandoned his desire to have children because of his deteriorating health.
"There were things said and printed about me that were false," he claimed.
Joe Manganiello Says He's Finally Healthy Again
After years of illness and surgeries, Joe Manganiello says he is now symptom-free.
After years of unsuccessful treatments, Manganiello says he eventually sought help from a Santa Monica shaman, who attributed his health.
The True Blood star eventually underwent another surgery to reconnect his digestive tract.
He now says he is symptom-free and no longer taking medication.
Manganiello is also looking toward the future with his fiancée, Caitlin O'Connor. The couple is considering having children together.
"If that's meant for me," he said. "For seven years I thought I was going to be dead the next week. The world has opened back up to me."
