Joe Manganiello Said Sofia Vergara Ridiculed Him During Health Battle

Joe Manganiello has spoken openly about the  health crisis he endured during his marriage to Sofía Vergara. He refused to hug him and ridiculed him over his dog while he was seriously ill.

The 49-year-old actor details the experience in his upcoming memoir, Bloodlines, which is scheduled for release on October 13. Manganiello and Vergara announced their separation in 2023, and their divorce was finalized in 2024. He has now provided an account of what happened.

“I can’t believe I’m alive, “[Manganiello said. He also described autoimmune conditions as a dumping ground for things [doctors] don’t understand. 

Manganiello says his health problems began shortly after his marriage to Vergara . It started with severe abdominal pain and developed into fevers, rashes, headaches, digestive ulcers and rectal bleeding. He went through several colonoscopies. 

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According to an excerpt from the memoir, Manganiello reached a point where he believed he could die. During one serious hospital stay, he experienced intense pain and later learned that his intestine was close to rupturing. Doctors performed emergency surgery, and Vergara was consulted about the procedure. She approved the removal of his large intestine, leaving him with an ostomy bag.

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The actor says the physical suffering was accompanied by a painful breakdown in his marriage. Manganiello writes that the relationship had become emotionally empty. He also says he experienced suicidal thoughts and that his dog, Bubbles, helped him through that period. 

“I had to give my gun away because I kept thinking about it, and then the dog came,” he says, claiming that he adopted Bubbles while struggling with suicidal ideation. “I went from being the patient to the caretaker.”

Caring for the sick puppy gave him another responsibility during a period when he was struggling with his own health.

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Vergara had previously said their marriage ended partly because Manganiello wanted children while she did not want to become an older mother. Manganiello has disputed that explanation, saying his health problems changed his perspective on parenthood.

After unsuccessful IVF attempts and discussions about using an egg donor, he says he became afraid that he could die and leave Vergara raising a child who was not biologically hers.

Manganiello says doctors treated him for suspected conditions including Crohn’s disease and colitis, but the treatments did not work. His search for answers took him into alternative treatments  that he believes helped him recover.

He has undergone reconstructive surgery and says he is now symptom-free and off medication.Vergara and her representatives had not commented on Manganiello’s latest claims at the time of the reports.