Joe Manganiello has disputed his ex-wife Sofia Vergara’s “false” explanation for their divorce.
The True Blood actor and Modern Family actress were married for seven years until 2023, and the Colombian star later alleged that they divorced because he wanted kids and she didn’t want any more.
In his new book, Bloodlines, Manganiello disputes his version of events, and claims that he eventually abandoned the idea during his seven-year battle with the autoimmune disease.
After unsuccessful IVF attempts led him to consider egg donors, the 49-year-old decided he did not want to die and leave his partner with a child “that was not biologically his”.
Manganiello told People that writing the memoir was her way of setting the record straight, saying, “There were things said and published about me that were false.”
In Bloodlines, the Magic Mike actor revealed that his health started deteriorating soon after his 2015 wedding. He suffered from unbearable stomach pain that left him unable to walk, as well as fever, blistering rashes, headaches and fatigue.
In those seven years, during which he was never given a definitive diagnosis, Manganiello lost a lot of weight, underwent multiple colonoscopies and had part of his intestines removed during emergency surgery in 2016.
Her health battles took a toll on her marriage, which she claimed had become “devoid of any kind of emotion”, with Vergara reportedly refusing to hug her.
After undergoing surgery to reconnect his digestive system, Manganiello is now symptom-free and not taking medications, and is now engaged to 37-year-old actress Caitlin O’Connor.
Asked if he would have children, the actor said, “If it’s for me… For seven years I thought I’d die next week. The world has opened up for me again.”
“I can’t believe I’m alive,” he said. “I feel like I’ve been reborn.”
Vergara has yet to publicly respond to Manganiello’s claims in Bloodlines, which will be released on October 13.