Joe Manganiello Shares Yearslong Illnesses "Attacked" His Skin & Eyes

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Joe Manganiello is looking back at a difficult chapter.

The True Blood alum shared a rare glimpse into navigating his nearly decade-long health battle due to autoimmune-related illnesses while in the public eye, which led to chronic pain and an amputation.

"Joe Manganiello seemed to have it all: a soaring career, a new marriage, and what many considered, the best physique in Hollywood," the official synopsis for the memoir, which will release Oct. 13, began. "Then, without warning, his body began to fail him."

"A cascade of autoimmune-related illnesses attacked his skin, thyroid, eyes, lungs, and digestive system, plunging him into a seven-year battle," it continued, "plagued by chronic pain, a life-saving organ amputation, existential crisis and a prolonged fight for survival that left doctors with few answers and no clear explanation."

Manganiello's health struggles led him to unconventional methods for guidance, including "shamans, pagan rituals, ancient myths, long-lost family records, and the rebirth of his own spirituality."

The journey ultimately brought the 49-year-old—who announced his engagement to Caitlin O'Connor in October—closer to his heritage and his family history.

"A search that led him deep into his own bloodline," the synopsis added, "to a survivor of the Armenian genocide, to ancestors shaped by violence and displacement and the hidden patterns shared by others living with chronic illness."

The Magic Mike actor emphasized in a statement to People published June 23 that this chapter was the most difficult time of his life, describing it as "one I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy."

"I hope that what I went through on this journey," he added, "can give readers hope that answers and healing may lie for them on the other side of whatever they are fighting through."

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Although Manganiello is known for his toned physique, he previously shared a glimpse of what it really takes to achieve his look, including the help of sports nutritionist Chris Tally.

"When you eat, you're guessing, or you're just following some fad diet you just read about," he explained to Men's Fitness in March 2025. “Chris will take 10 vials of your blood. Then, three weeks later, you get 26 pages of results. It's you specifically. What you're supposed to eat. What your genetic history tells you to eat."

"I was really skinny growing up and I had to work at it," Manganiello explained. "I think a lot of people think you roll out of bed that way."

Manganiello isn't the only celeb to share insight into his health. Keep reading for more celebs who've shared their own health journeys.

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