Joe Manganiello disclosed a life‑threatening illness that required removal of his entire large intestine in 2016, a battle he says nearly cost him his life.
Health Crisis and New Memoir
During a CBS Mornings interview, Manganiello told host Gayle King that the 2016 call to play Deathstroke in Ben Affleck’s scrapped Batman film arrived while he was still recovering from surgery.
He later wrote in his memoir “Bloodlines” that the Deathstroke offer arrived a month after his hospital discharge, a period he describes as “dying.”
Manganiello said he collapsed on a set about a month after leaving the hospital, after a year of unexplained symptoms that led to a two‑month hospitalization and eventual removal of his large intestine.
“They split me open; my intestine turned to pus and was about to explode,” he recalled, adding that the operation left him with an ostomy bag, a 60‑pound weight loss, loss of mobility, vision problems, voice loss and five catheters.
At the time, Manganiello was still married to Sofia Vergara, who ultimately authorized the life‑saving procedure, he said.
After discharge, he worked to regain weight while preparing to meet Affleck for the Batman role, he told King.
He added that the prolonged illness strained his marriage to Vergara, which ended in separation in 2023 and finalized divorce in 2024.
Vergara’s son Manolo Gonzalez posted about a “narcissistic” man on Monday, prompting King to ask Manganiello how he responds to claims that he is a narcissist.
Manganiello replied that anyone making such accusations should read his memoir first, emphasizing that the book details his suffering, not personal character flaws.
“Bloodlines: A Memoir” hit shelves on October 13, documenting the seven‑year secret illness.
Janelle Ash, entertainment writer for Fox News Digital, reported on the story.
