Joe Manganiello is opening up about a seven-year “near-death” health crisis tied to autoimmune illness—one that brought chronic pain, an organ amputation, and a prolonged fight for survival. The True Blood actor shared details as he prepares to publish his mem
Joe Manganiello is getting ready to tell his story—one shaped by a crisis so severe it forced his life to split into “before” and “after.”
In the run-up to his memoir Bloodlines. the True Blood actor said his health battle included “multiple near-death experiences. and medical crises that led him beyond medicine. ” and into what the memoir describes as “a remarkable. globe-spanning quest.” The book is scheduled to hit bookshelves on October 13.
His account traces a seven-year stretch that began with “a cascade of autoimmune-related illnesses” that targeted his skin. thyroid. eyes. lungs. and digestive system. Manganiello tied those complications to chronic pain. an “existential crisis. ” and. most alarmingly. “a life-saving organ amputation.” He described the medical phase as one where doctors had “few answers and no clear explanation. ” leaving him to figure out what came next.
In an interview with People on Tuesday, Manganiello expanded on what that period took from him. “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 said. “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.”.
With medicine offering little clarity, the memoir’s official synopsis says Manganiello turned to an unconventional path that included “shamans, pagan rituals, ancient myths, long-lost family records, and the rebirth of his own spirituality.”
He also connected the act of writing to what he’s carried forward. Manganiello said that putting the book together gave him “the gift of perspective,” allowing him to see “my suffering was a cocoon from which I would emerge forever changed.”
Bloodlines arrives as Manganiello’s life has already shifted in public view. He and Sofía Vergara separated in July 2023 after nearly a decade of marriage. and they finalized their divorce the following April. But in his upcoming memoir. Manganiello’s focus goes beyond heartbreak—into illness. endurance. and the questions left unanswered at the bedside.
Publisher Simon & Schuster described the memoir as “deeply personal and emotionally expansive. ” saying it takes on “illness. inheritance. masculinity. faith. ambition. and the identities we build to endure.” The publisher added that it is “more than a memoir of medical crisis. ” positioning it as “a searching account of what happens when the life you have constructed can no longer contain the truth of what you carry.”.
As of now, the specific autoimmune diseases Manganiello faced have not been revealed. Still, the shape of the journey is clear: a cascade of symptoms across multiple organs, doctors with “few answers,” a life-altering amputation, and a search that pushed him “beyond medicine.”
Joe Manganiello Bloodlines memoir autoimmune diseases organ amputation near-death experience True Blood Simon & Schuster Sofía Vergara divorce
Shamans?? So he cured his autoimmune stuff with vibes?
I mean I’m glad he’s okay but autoimmune is probably from eating bad food right? Like sugar and stuff. If he just went vegan it would’ve fixed it lol. Either way that sounds terrifying, organ amputation is wild.
Autoimmune stuff is scary. Organ amputation??
People always say “near-death” but then it turns out they’re still fine for interviews. Not saying it wasn’t serious, just seems like marketing. Also “pagan rituals” makes me skeptical like did they actually do anything medical or was it all just stories?
I don’t get why people call it “near-death” when it’s just like… medicine? But yeah chronic pain and losing an organ is insane. Also shamans and pagan rituals?? Sounds like he’s mixing whatever helped him with a story for the book.
This is the part where I’m like… if the doctors had “no clear explanation,” why is the headline acting like it’s definitely autoimmune? And then he’s doing shamans and ancient myths, which could help emotionally I guess, but people will read this and think that’s a substitute for actual treatment. I know a guy who got duped by “ritual healing” and it was not good. Hope he finds peace, but also cmon, organ amputation is a real medical thing not a plot twist.
Wait so his thyroid eyes lungs digestive system got attacked by autoimmune and they amputated something? Like what, his leg?? People online always say it’s “one answer” but doctors “had none” so he went full myth stuff. I’m sure prayer and vibes help but organ amputation is not something you fix with rituals, sorry.
My cousin had autoimmune and it started with skin too, so I believe that part. But the headline makes it sound like he was dying from Hollywood being too stressful, like True Blood cursed him lol. If it’s really 7 years that’s brutal. Also October 13 book release like right around the corner, of course they’re gonna turn it into an adventure story.