Joe Manganiello, renowned film actor, confirmed that he sought help from shamans and participated in pagan rituals for a period of seven years, while he was undergoing treatment for a serious illness. The artist’s full account appears in his new autobiographical book, entitled ‘Bloodlines’, whose translation into Portuguese would be ‘Laços sanguine’. Fragments of the publication were initially released by the Fox News portal.
Currently 48 years old, Manganiello is widely recognized for notable roles, such as Flash Thompson in the ‘Spider-Man’ franchise, alongside Tobey Maguire, and for playing the antagonist Deathstroke in the film ‘Justice League’, released in 2016. His career also includes appearances in the feature films in the ‘Magic Mike’ series, as well as being the spouse of the famous actress Sofía Vergara.
In the content of his work, Manganiello delves into his experiences after overcoming a serious health problem that threatened his existence. The publisher responsible for the publication anticipates that the material explores the actor’s search “beyond traditional medical methods, on a significant journey across the globe that brought revelations about his family origins, legacies of trauma and the deeper narratives that shape our identity.”
Although the precise illness that struck him is not specified, the autobiographical text classifies the condition as “a series of diseases linked to autoimmune disorders”. These conditions caused significant impacts on several parts of his body, including his skin, thyroid gland, eyes, lungs and digestive system.
Over the seven years dedicated to seeking recovery, Manganiello endured “incessant pain, the surgical removal of an organ, a profound existential shock and a long battle for life”. As narrated in the book, the health professionals who assisted him had “few alternatives and no definitive elucidation about the nature of what was happening”, a common scenario in complex cases of autoimmune diseases, which often defy conventional diagnoses and treatments.
Faced with the lack of answers in conventional medicine, the book continues to narrate how the actor, in his incessant search for a cure, sought refuge “in the assistance of shamans, in the practice of pagan rituals, in the exploration of ancestral mythologies, in the rediscovery of forgotten family records and in the revitalization of his own faith”.