Joe Manganiello is going public with explosive claims about the final years of his marriage to Sofía Vergara, alleging in his new memoir that she grew emotionally cold and even mocked his attachment to his dog while he was fighting for his life.

The book, titled "Bloodlines," was published by Simon & Schuster on October 13 and details a seven-year health ordeal the actor says nearly killed him. According to excerpts first obtained by PEOPLE and reported widely since, including by TMZ, Manganiello writes that his marriage had "become devoid of any emotionality whatsoever" as his condition worsened, and that Vergara refused to hug him even when he begged.

Per the memoir, as detailed by HELLO! Magazine, Manganiello also claims Vergara ridiculed his bond with Bubbles, the Chihuahua he adopted in 2019. He writes that the dog ultimately saved his life during a suicidal low point in his illness.

"I WENT FROM BEING THE PATIENT TO THE CARETAKER."

The health crisis itself reads as the memoir's central story. Manganiello says symptoms began shortly after his November 2015 wedding to Vergara in Palm Beach, Florida, and escalated over roughly seven years into abdominal pain, ulcers, fevers, rashes and severe fatigue. He underwent emergency surgery in 2016 to remove part of his intestines, lost 60 pounds, relied on an ostomy bag, and says he was treated for Crohn's disease and colitis without resolution, managing pain at times with hydrocodone, fentanyl patches and marijuana. He has since had a procedure to reconnect his digestive tract and says he is now symptom-free and off medication, according to IBTimes UK.

The illness also factors into why the couple split, by Manganiello's account. Vergara has previously said publicly that she and Manganiello parted ways over her reluctance to have another child at an older age. Manganiello's memoir offers a different wrinkle: he says he had already given up on fatherhood because of his health, not wanting to risk leaving Vergara to raise a child alone if he didn't survive. The pair married in 2015, announced their separation in July 2023, and finalized their divorce in 2024.

As of this week's reporting, representatives for Vergara have not publicly responded to the specific allegations in the book. Manganiello, 49, is now engaged to actress Caitlin O'Connor, who he proposed to in 2025.

With "Bloodlines" only days into its release, promotional interviews are expected to continue through the coming weeks, and entertainment outlets are watching for any response from Vergara's camp.