Joe Manganiello alleges that his ex-wife, Sofía Vergara, mocked him for adopting a Chihuahua during a period when he was experiencing suicidal thoughts amid a serious health crisis. In excerpts from his memoir, Bloodlines, the actor describes how caring for his dog, Bubbles, gave him a renewed sense of purpose during a prolonged struggle with an undiagnosed illness.
Manganiello recalled how his deteriorating health left him fearing for his life. His distress became so severe that he gave away his firearm because he repeatedly thought about using it. 'I had to give my gun away because I kept thinking about it, and then the dog came,' he wrote. 'I went from being the patient to the caretaker.'
Manganiello adopted the Chihuahua affectionally named 'Bubbles' in 2019. He has described how the responsibility of caring for the dog helped redirect his attention towards another living being during a period of profound distress. However, he alleges that Vergara mocked his decision to get the dog, which had become an important source of comfort during his illness. These recollections reflect Manganiello's account in Bloodlines and have not been independently established.
Joe Manganiello claims in his memoir, ‘Bloodlines,’ that ex-wife Sofia Vergara ridiculed him for the chihuahua he adopted in 2019 when he was considering suicide:
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) October 7, 2026
“I had to give my gun away because I kept thinking about it, and then the dog came. I went from being the patient to… pic.twitter.com/gnGF5obMRP
Strain Within The Marriage
The actor also describes a breakdown in emotional intimacy during his health crisis, writing that his marriage had 'become devoid of any emotionality whatsoever'. He alleges that Vergara refused to hug him even when he asked for physical affection while fearing he might die, illustrating emotional distance between the couple during a period when he was confronting serious medical problems.
The couple married in Palm Beach in November 2015 and announced their separation in July 2023. Their divorce was finalised in February 2024. Vergara previously attributed their separation partly to differing views on having children, explaining that she did not want to become a mother again at her age. Manganiello has disputed the suggestion that wanting children was the reason for their split.
He has explained that his illness affected his perspective on parenthood. After the couple considered options including using an egg donor, he feared dying and leaving Vergara to raise a child who would not be biologically hers. His memoir offers his perspective on the marriage breakdown, but the former couple's differing accounts do not establish one definitive reason for their separation.
Life After Divorce
Manganiello's illness involved severe abdominal pain, significant weight loss and emergency surgery in 2016. According to his account, doctors removed his entire large intestine, and he subsequently underwent further surgery to reconnect his digestive tract. Doctors suspected an autoimmune condition, but he has said he never received a definitive diagnosis.
The actor has since said he is symptom-free and no longer takes medication. He has also discussed alternative approaches to healing, including working with a shaman whom he credits with helping him address what he describes as generational trauma. These are his reported experiences and beliefs; they do not establish that trauma caused his illness or that the alternative treatment medically cured him. Manganiello is now engaged to actress Caitlin O'Connor and has expressed openness to the possibility of having children in the future.
His memoir, Bloodlines, is scheduled for release on 13 October 2026 and will recount his illness, recovery, and marriage breakdown from his perspective. According to reports published ahead of the memoir's release, Sofia Vergara's representatives had not responded to requests for comment.
