Joe Manganiello, 49, writes in detail about his marriage to Sofía Vergara and the health crisis that nearly killed him in his new memoir, Bloodlines, which came out Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026. In the book, Manganiello claims Vergara ridiculed him over a dog he adopted during his illness and refused to hug him even when he asked.
The actor and Vergara, 54, married in 2015. According to Page Six, Manganiello’s health problems began shortly after the wedding and stretched on for years, taking a severe physical and emotional toll on him and, as he describes it, on their relationship.
What Manganiello Claims In Bloodlines
Manganiello writes that his marriage to Vergara had become, in his words, devoid of any emotionality during his health crisis, according to Page Six. He claims Vergara mocked him over his dog, Bubbles, a 5-pound dog he adopted in 2019 while he was having thoughts of suicide.
Manganiello also claims that while he was severely sick, Vergara refused to hug him even when he begged her to. He described the role the dog played in his recovery in blunt terms.
“I had to give my gun away because I kept thinking about it, and then the dog came. I went from being the patient to the caretaker,” Manganiello said, according to Page Six.
The Health Battle Behind The Book
Over seven years, Manganiello lost 60 pounds, according to Page Six. He underwent multiple colonoscopies and an emergency surgery in 2016 that removed part of his intestines, after which he had to use an ostomy bag.
Manganiello says he eventually got healthy after visiting a shaman in Santa Monica, who attributed his health issues to generational trauma. He later had a follow-up surgery that reconnected his digestive tract, and he says he is now symptom-free and off medication.
“For seven years I thought I was going to be dead the next week. The world has opened back up to me,” Manganiello said, according to Page Six.
Dispute Over Having Children
Vergara said in 2024 that the marriage broke up because Manganiello wanted kids and she did not want to be an older mom, according to Page Six. Vergara shares son Manolo Gonzalez Vergara, 34, with her first husband, Joe Gonzalez.
Manganiello disputes that account in Bloodlines, claiming he abandoned the idea of having children because of his health issues rather than for the reasons Vergara has stated publicly. He writes that he and Vergara considered egg donors after IVF attempts failed, but he says he did not want to risk dying and leaving her to raise a child “who wasn’t biologically hers.”
Where Things Stand Now
Manganiello is now engaged to Caitlin O’Connor, and the couple are considering having children together, according to Page Six. The health claims in Bloodlines were also reported by TMZ, which covered Manganiello’s account of the marriage breaking down during his illness.
Vergara’s son has since responded publicly to the memoir’s claims. Manganiello has also discussed other aspects of his career tied to that period, including casting decisions he says were affected by his marriage, according to Just Jared. Readers can find more on the family’s reaction in Total Apex Entertainment’s coverage of Vergara’s son’s post on narcissists after the Manganiello memoir.
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