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Joe Manganiello Claims Ex Sofia Vergara RIDICULED Him Amid Near-Death Health Crisis
In excerpts from his upcoming memoir, Bloodlines, the 49-year-old actor claims Vergara emotionally withdrew from him while he was battling a mysterious autoimmune illness that nearly killed him.
Manganiello writes that their marriage eventually “became devoid of any emotionality whatsoever,” and alleges that Vergara refused to hug him even when he asked her for affection. He also claims she ridiculed a small dog he adopted during one of the lowest points of his life.
A Health Crisis That Nearly Killed Him
Manganiello says his health problems began shortly after he and Vergara married in 2015.
He experienced severe abdominal pain, fevers, rashes, headaches, fatigue and intestinal bleeding. Over the next several years, he says he lost about 60 pounds and underwent numerous colonoscopies and other medical procedures while doctors struggled to determine what was happening.
In 2016, his condition became life-threatening. Doctors discovered that his intestine was severely damaged and close to rupturing. He underwent emergency surgery that resulted in the removal of part of his intestines and required him to use an ostomy bag.
Manganiello describes one night during his hospitalization as a moment when he genuinely believed he was going to die.
The Dog He Says Helped Save His Life
During his illness, Manganiello adopted a tiny Chihuahua named Bubbles.
The actor says the dog arrived at a time when he was struggling emotionally and experiencing suicidal thoughts. He wrote that he eventually gave his gun away because he was worried about what he might do.
Taking care of Bubbles gave him something to focus on, he says.
“I went from being the patient to the caretaker,” Manganiello told PEOPLE while discussing the memoir.
He alleges that Vergara mocked him for the dog, adding to the emotional distance he says had developed between them.
Manganiello Pushes Back on Why Their Marriage Ended
Manganiello's account also challenges the explanation Vergara previously gave for their 2023 divorce.
In 2024, Vergara said their marriage ended in part because Manganiello wanted children while she did not want to become a mother again later in life. She is already the mother of son Manolo, whom she shares with her former partner Joe Gonzalez.
Manganiello tells PEOPLE that his illness changed his perspective on fatherhood. After failed IVF attempts and discussions about egg donation, he says he ultimately abandoned the idea because he feared his health could prevent him from being there for a child.
He says there were “things said and printed about me that were false” and that part of his reason for writing Bloodlines was to tell his side of the story.
Sofía Vergara Has Not Responded to the Claims
The allegations about Vergara's treatment of Manganiello are his account of their marriage, presented in his upcoming memoir.
As of the latest reports, Vergara's representatives had not publicly responded to his claims about the relationship or his description of the final years of their marriage.
The couple finalized their divorce in 2024 after seven years of marriage.
A New Chapter for Manganiello
Today, Manganiello says he is in a very different place.
He has undergone additional surgery to reconnect his digestive tract and says he is now symptom-free and no longer taking medication for the condition. He is also engaged to Caitlin O'Connor, whom he began dating after his separation from Vergara.
Manganiello says he now feels as though he has been given another chance at life.
After years of believing he could die at any moment, he says the future has opened up again — including the possibility of becoming a father someday.
Bloodlines is scheduled for release October 13, 2026.
Source: ET
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