Joe Manganiello has shared a shocking glimpse of the health crisis that left him 60 lb (27 kg) lighter in just two weeks, revealing how close he came to death during a seven-year battle with an undiagnosed illness. The True Blood star, 49, posted hospital photos on Instagram on Thursday, 15 October, documenting the effects of the emergency intestinal surgery he underwent in 2016.
'I can't believe I'm alive,' Manganiello told PEOPLE, reflecting on his seven-year battle with a mysterious condition that doctors were unable to diagnose conclusively. 'I feel like I was reborn,' he added.
The actor is revisiting his medical ordeal while promoting his new memoir, Bloodlines, which was released on Tuesday, 13 October. The photographs date back to his 2016 hospitalisation, when he underwent emergency surgery that dramatically changed his life.
Joe Manganiello Lost 60 lb After Emergency Surgery
In one photograph, Manganiello sits shirtless beside his hospital bed, showing how dramatically his body had changed following surgery to remove his large intestine. He explained that his weight began to plummet in the days after the operation.
'In the days following the amputation of my large intestine, my weight began to plummet,' he wrote. 'I would ultimately lose a total of 60 lb during the two weeks following the surgery.'
The actor also pointed out that the photograph showed the top of his first ostomy bag peeking above the sheets. An ostomy bag collects waste diverted through a surgically created opening in the abdomen. The other images offer a similarly stark record of his illness, including a photograph of his abdomen showing surgical incisions and a selfie revealing a severe rash across his face.
Manganiello explained that the abdominal photograph was taken after a subsequent operation to reconnect the remaining parts of his digestive tract and remove his ostomy bag. He also described his skin problems as one of the many complications he experienced throughout his illness, saying his skin was affected by numerous conditions, often simultaneously.
The Actor's Seven-Year Health Battle Nearly Killed Him
Manganiello's symptoms included excruciating abdominal pain, fevers, headaches, fatigue and blistering skin rashes, alongside ulcers in his digestive tract that caused bleeding. He previously described how the pain became so severe that he struggled to walk, while repeated medical investigations failed to provide a clear explanation.
Joe Manganiello spent years battling a mystery autoimmune illness that almost killed him, lost part of his intestine, and lived with an ostomy bag. Desperate for answers beyond doctors, he flew to Cuba for a Santería ritual where he licked the pituitary gland from a goat’s skull… pic.twitter.com/aI7RSqgmtb
— Trig (@TKOTriggerX) October 12, 2026
The crisis reached a critical point in 2016, when Manganiello underwent emergency surgery to remove his large intestine. In an excerpt from Bloodlines published by PEOPLE, he recalled fearing he would die that night, describing the severity of his condition and the danger he faced.
Before the emergency operation, he underwent numerous colonoscopies and received different medications as doctors tried to identify and treat the underlying problem. Despite years of investigations and treatment, he said he never received a definitive diagnosis for the suspected autoimmune illness.
The surgery also left him facing further procedures, while the illness took a toll on his personal life. Manganiello previously told PEOPLE that he was 'getting sicker and sicker' during that period, which contributed to the difficulties in his seven-year marriage to actress Sofía Vergara.
Joe Manganiello gets emotional opening up about the health struggles he faced and how his now ex-wife, Sofía Vergara, saved his life.
— Entertainment Tonight (@etnow) October 13, 2026
His book, 'Bloodlines: A Memoir,' is out now. pic.twitter.com/rIj10EzJmF
Joe Manganiello Says He Feels Reborn After Illness
In his memoir, Manganiello recounts the years he spent searching for answers and the difficult journey to find treatment for his condition. His account details a deeply personal chapter that remained largely hidden from the public while he continued working as an actor.
Manganiello has said his symptoms subsided more than three years ago and that he now feels healthy, happy and peaceful. By sharing photographs from his hospitalisation, he has offered a rare look at the medical ordeal he endured largely out of the public eye.
