If there's one thing Joe Manganiello isn't taking for granted, it's his body.
The actor and ex-husband of Sofía Vergara opened up about his health struggles, including a harrowing battle with an autoimmune disease, in a new interview with People magazine published Wednesday, Oct. 7.
Manganiello, 49, previously discussed his health with the announcement of his memoir "Bloodlines," which is set to be released on Oct. 13. The "True Blood" alum shared in the book's synopsis that he had suffered "multiple near-death experiences and medical crises," which "attacked his skin, thyroid, eyes, lungs and digestive system" and ultimately led to a "life-saving organ amputation."
Following his recovery, Manganiello told People he "can't believe I'm alive," adding,
"I feel like I was reborn."
Autoimmune diseases are chronic health conditions that occur when a person's immune system attacks itself and damages healthy tissue, according to Cleveland Clinic. Some of the most common diseases include rheumatoid arthritis, Lupus, psoriasis, Crohn's disease, Type 1 diabetes and multiple sclerosis.
Joe Manganiello details autoimmune illness
Manganiello's health ordeal began in the mid-2010s, with the actor experiencing acute abdominal pain and a slew of debilitating symptoms that spanned fevers, rashes, headaches, fatigue and rectal bleeding.
Manganiello, who never received a formal diagnosis, subsequently underwent several colonoscopies and a 2016 emergency surgery to remove part of his intestines.
"It happened to me, and it's the truth, and I have all the scars to prove it," Manganiello told People magazine. "[Autoimmune] conditions are a dumping ground for things [doctors] don't understand. They start running you through this gauntlet of drugs."
As part of his recovery efforts, the "Nonnas" star took several medications and remedies, such as hydrocodone pills, fentanyl patches and marijuana. Manganiello said the extensive regimen forced him to reckon with his past substance abuse after 13 years of sobriety.
"I didn't feel like I deserved to say that I was sober," Manganiello said. "[But] I had to put the pain and the condition first."
Joe Manganiello reveals how autoimmune disease affected Sofia Vergara marriage
Amid his health struggles, Manganiello said his marriage to actress Sofía Vergara was deteriorating.
The couple, who wed in 2015, divorced in 2023 after nearly a decade of marriage, with Vergara attributing the split to differing views on having children (a claim Manganiello later disputed).
Manganiello shared in his memoir that his relationship with Vergara had "become devoid of any emotionality whatsoever," according to People magazine. He said Vergara refused to hug him and also ridiculed him for his pet chihuahua, Bubbles.
Regarding their family life, Manganiello said he didn't want to have children with Vergara due to his illness, per People. Although the couple had attempted IVF treatment and later considered egg donors, the actor said he didn't want to leave Vergara with a child "who wasn't biologically hers" if he were to succumb to his illness.
Two years after their divorce, Manganiello became engaged to actress and TV host Caitlin O'Connor. While the couple doesn't have immediate plans to have children, the actor told People he was open to it "if that's meant for me."
"For seven years, I thought I was going to be dead the next week," Manganiello said. "The world has opened back up to me.”
Contributing: Taijuan Moorman, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Joe Manganiello opens up about near-fatal autoimmune disease battle
