'Spider-Man' actor Joe Manganiello battled mystery illness for years
What's the story
Hollywood actor Joe Manganiello, best known for his role as Flash Thompson in Tobey Maguire's Spider-Man, has revealed a decade-long battle with a life-threatening mystery illness. The revelation comes ahead of the release of his memoir Bloodlines. In a video explaining the book, he said he had been suffering in silence while battling this deadly illness for about seven years.
Health ordeal
'I saw the best doctors in the world'
Manganiello, 49, said he consulted "the best doctors in the world" but never got an explanation for his illness. "I saw the best doctors in the world. None of them could explain what started my illness," he said. The actor underwent "very serious operations and procedures" that mutilated parts of his body and left him unable to stand or walk at times.
Health crisis
'A cascade of autoimmune-related illnesses'
In another conversation with PEOPLE, Manganiello described his health crisis as "a cascade of autoimmune-related illnesses" that attacked his skin, thyroid, eyes, lungs, and digestive system. This seven-year ordeal was plagued by chronic pain, a life-saving organ amputation, and multiple medical crises. "It was the most brutally difficult time of my life, I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy, but also my greatest adventure," he said.
Book insights
His memoir chronicles a 10-year search for answers
Bloodlines chronicles Manganiello's 10-year search for answers, which took him on an unexpected journey. The book delves into his family's history and includes discoveries he made along the way. "It documents my 10-year search for answers and expands the globe, and also backwards in time as I expand on my understanding of my family's history and make some absolutely unbelievable discoveries," he said.
Message of hope
Manganiello hopes his memoir will resonate with others
Manganiello hopes his memoir will resonate with others facing their own health challenges. "I hope that what I went through on this journey can give readers hope that answers and healing may lie for them on the other side of whatever they are fighting through," he said. Bloodlines will be released on October 13 in print, Kindle, and audiobook formats. It is now available for preorder.