Joe Manganiello is sharing deeply personal details about his seven-year health struggle and the difficulties he says affected his marriage to Sofía Vergara. In his upcoming memoir, Bloodlines, scheduled for release on October 13, the 49-year-old actor describes battling serious autoimmune-related illnesses that affected multiple parts of his body. He says the ordeal began in 2015 and involved chronic pain, significant weight loss, and surgery that left him needing an ostomy bag. During one of the darkest periods of his life, Manganiello adopted a tiny Chihuahua named Bubbles in 2019. He revealed that he had been struggling emotionally and had even given his gun away because he feared what he might do. Caring for the five-pound dog gave him a new sense of purpose, shifting his attention from being a patient to looking after another living creature. However, Manganiello now alleges that Vergara mocked him for adopting the pet and that their relationship had become emotionally distant while he was fighting for his health.

In the memoir excerpt obtained by People, Manganiello describes a marriage that he says had lost much of its emotional connection. He also disputes aspects of the public narrative surrounding their separation, claiming that some statements made about him were untrue. The former couple announced their split in July 2023 after seven years of marriage. Vergara previously explained that disagreements about having children played a major role in the breakup, saying she did not want to become an older mother. Manganiello, however, has offered a different perspective, explaining that his prolonged illness changed how he viewed the possibility of raising a child. The couple had reportedly discussed fertility treatment, including the possibility of using an egg donor, but Manganiello said he worried about leaving his wife with a child who might not be biologically hers if his health deteriorated. His memoir promises to reveal more about the personal challenges behind this difficult chapter. Vergara’s representatives had been contacted for comment, and her response to the latest allegations was not included in the report.