Joe Manganiello's memoir alleges shaman linked his illness to Sofia Vergara's ex

Joe Manganiello has released his memoir, "Bloodlines: A Memoir," in which he recounts a Cuba-based shaman's claim that a voodoo curse from Sofia Vergara's past caused his severe health issues. The book details the actor's seven-year battle with a mystery illness, his divorce from Vergara, and his suspicions regarding Tom Cruise's influence on his casting in the Prime Video series "Reacher."

Manganiello and Vergara married in 2015 and finalized their divorce in 2024. In the memoir, Manganiello disputes Vergara's public claim that their marriage ended because he wanted a child, calling the assertion "simply not true." He writes that they attempted IVF for two years and later considered surrogacy, but abandoned the plan after he fell ill. The illness forced him into a two-month hospital stay, during which Vergara made the decision to allow doctors to remove his large intestine, leaving him with an ostomy bag.

The actor credits this health crisis for straining the marriage, noting that the loss of his enthusiasm and the end of their dream of parenthood caused the "fire between us" to fade. He lost 60 pounds in two weeks following the surgery. During his treatment, a shaman told him that an ex from Vergara's past had placed a curse on him in New Orleans. Manganiello initially believed this referred to Nick Loeb, whom Vergara dated before Manganiello. Loeb, whose engagement to Vergara was called off in 2014, responded to the accusations via Page Six, stating, "I pray they find Jesus. Not another shaman."

Manganiello also addresses financial matters, revealing he took a $500,000, zero-interest loan from Vergara to save his 2019 film, "Bottom of the 9th," from bond companies after a budgetary error. He noted that he still owed her $400,000 at the time of their divorce. The memoir includes harsh accounts of their final conversation, where Manganiello claims Vergara told him he was not healthy and that no one would love him once they knew the extent of his condition.

Regarding his career, Manganiello alleges that Tom Cruise interfered with his casting in "Reacher." He writes that Amazon executives were set on him for the role but that the part went to another actor because Cruise, an executive producer on the show, could have vetoed his casting due to Vergara. However, IMDb Pro does not list Cruise as an executive producer on the series. Manganiello describes Vergara's media comments about the divorce as "annoying" but states they did not hurt his career.