Actor Joe Manganiello was forced to confront a shocking revelation about his family history with the discovery of his Black ancestry, including a mixed-race biological grandfather and an enslaved ancestor who fought in the Revolutionary War. Now, in his new memoir, “Bloodlines,” the actor is opening up about his battle with a devastating autoimmune illness and how that experience, coupled with the news about his past, forced him to confront his health, his heritage and the untold stories of his family tree.
We previously told you that Manganiello first shared his ancestral discovery with viewers in 2023 on PBS’s “Finding Your Roots,” when host Henry Louis Gates Jr. revealed that the actor’s paternal grandfather was not his biological grandfather. Instead, genealogical research uncovered a connection to a mixed-race Black man, revealing a previously unknown chapter in Manganiello’s family history.
The investigation traced his lineage to Plato Turner, a Black ancestor who fought for the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. The discovery connected Manganiello’s family story to the broader history of Black Americans, including the legacies of slavery, racial identity and the fight for freedom.
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But the revelation was only one part of a much larger personal journey. In “Bloodlines,” Manganiello examines how his family history intersected with a frightening period of illness that left him searching for answers about his health. His account explores the ways confronting the past can reshape a person’s understanding of the present.
The actor described enduring a serious autoimmune condition, which “attacked his skin, thyroid, eyes, lungs and digestive system.” The mysterious condition brought debilitating symptoms and led him to fear he might not survive and even undergo a “life-saving” organ amputation, he told Gayle King this week.
As he navigated the medical crisis, he also investigated his ancestry, looking for a deeper understanding of the experiences of those who came before him. His story also raises questions about the family narratives passed down through generations and the histories that remain hidden until someone begins asking questions.
He told PEOPLE, “For seven years I thought I was going to be dead the next week. The world has opened back up to me.”
Manganiello eventually turned to alternative healing methods, seeking answers beyond conventional medicine. He says a shaman he consulted in Santa Monica helped him see a possible link between his illness and generational trauma, offering a new perspective on the struggles that had shaped his life.
For Manganiello, “Bloodlines” is an opportunity to explore the complicated relationship between identity, ancestry and survival. By examining his Black roots alongside his battle with a life-threatening illness, the actor hopes readers can welcome a deeply personal account of what it means to reconsider where you come from while fighting to determine what comes next.
“Whatever chains there were to the past suffering of my ancestors, they were completely broken,” he said. “There’s not an ounce of fear in me about moving forward with my life.”
