Joe Manganiello Shares Why He Felt Like A Burden Amid Health Issues

Joe Manganiello is reflecting on one of the most challenging moments of his life.

The True Blood actor spoke to Andy Cohen on Radio Andy’s Andy Cohen Live on October 14 where he shared the impact an unknown autoimmune disease had on his personal and professional life, which he details in his new memoir, Bloodlines. Listen to the full interview on the SiriusXM app.

“I felt like a burden,” he said. “Like everyone was sick of me. Of watching me go through this.”

Joe—who is engaged to Catlin O’Connor—assured readers that his memoir is his take on the events that shaped that period of his life, despite the headlines. Especially those surrounding his ex-wife Sofia Vergara

“This book is me telling my story, in a way that I try to be as graceful as possible,” he said. “I understand that there are things being printed to make it seem like it’s not graceful. Taken out of context.”

“There are characters in this book that have to be mentioned because they are a part of it,” he added. “If you got the phone call while I was unconscious to be asked, ‘What happens? or What should we do to him, should we cut his intestines out to save his life? Is he going to be okay with that?’ You have to be in the book. But with that said, it’s about my family, it’s about what I went through, it’s about how I came out on the other side.”

Joe did not send the Modern Family star—who he was married to from 2014-2024—a copy of the book. However, amid his illness, he said their marriage had “been over for a while,” but there may have been a chance to save it, had he not been battling his health.

“I sometimes see pictures of the two of us when we first got together. It’s heartbreaking to look at these two people with life ahead of them,” he said. “But for us, we didn’t know what was ahead. And of course, I felt guilty for a long time.”

Joe doesn’t want readers to focus on his past, rather look forward and be inspired to have tough conversations about health with those you love.

“It gets off message from the message of the book,” he added. “Which is trying to help people out there suffering in silence of all of these autoimmune issues. And watching their family members struggle and feel like they can’t talk about it.”

Beyond the trauma, Joe said that he wants readers to see the complexities within the chapters of his life.

“The book is a very nuanced discussion about my spiritual awakening,” he said. “And this journey that I had and understanding where it came from. Through my ancestry, the generational trauma that was passed down to me. The same thing I was suffering from killed my grandmother. This is also how I came to understand why we suffer, why we’re here. It’s a human experience. And that’s what the book is about.”

Hear Andy Cohen Live Monday through Friday at 10am ET/7am PT on Radio Andy (Ch. 101) on car radios and the SiriusXM app.