Joe Manganiello reveals what led to 13-year estrangement from his father

Joe Manganiello has opened up about the incident that led to a 13-year estrangement from his father, Charles Manganiello, revealing how a comment he made about his childhood during an interview ultimately fractured their relationship. The actor recounts the painful family rift in his newly released memoir, Bloodlines, explaining that he never intended to hurt his father by speaking about his upbringing.

The disagreement began when Manganiello was playing Stanley Kowalski in a production of A Streetcar Named Desire at Yale Repertory Theatre. During an interview about why he was frequently cast in intense roles, the actor explained that his understanding of anger came from witnessing volatility while growing up. Although he did not name any family members or reveal specific details, his father reportedly took issue with the comments, believing his son was publicly discussing private family matters.

According to Manganiello's account in Bloodlines, Charles changed his phone number without telling him rather than attending one of his performances. The actor subsequently called his father's new number and left a message, hoping to resolve the situation. When that did not work, he sent an email apologising for any hurt his remarks might have caused.

However, the response he received only deepened the rift. Manganiello described his father's email as one of the most disturbing messages he had ever read, recalling that Charles called him “a disappointment and a teenage girl”.

The actor wrote that he could never imagine sending such a message to his own child. Their relationship deteriorated further, and Charles ultimately became the only member of Manganiello's family who was not invited to his wedding to actress Sofía Vergara. The former couple married in 2015 and finalised their divorce in 2024.

Manganiello also reflected on the absence of his father during a particularly difficult period in his life. The actor has described a seven-year battle with an autoimmune illness that left him seriously unwell and required major surgery, including the removal of his large intestine. According to his memoir, his father did not call, write or visit him in hospital during that period.

“For years afterward while I was fighting for my life, he never came to see me the way I did for him,” Manganiello wrote, reflecting on the painful lack of contact.

Despite the length of their estrangement, Manganiello's account makes clear that he did not set out to damage his relationship with his father. He said he had attempted to apologise after learning that his comments had caused hurt, but the exchange that followed made reconciliation more difficult.

Through Bloodlines, the True Blood and Magic Mike actor is sharing a more personal account of his life beyond Hollywood, including his complicated family history, health struggles and experiences away from the screen. His revelations offer insight into a relationship that has remained fractured for more than a decade.