Joe Manganiello Debuts Three-Foot Dragon Tattoo Covering Surgery Scars

Joe Manganiello has debuted a massive three-foot dragon tattoo stretching down the right side of his body to cover surgical scars resulting from a past health battle. The True Blood alum, 49, shared photos of the dramatic ink on Instagram, revealing the piece's progression from a simple black outline to a finished design.

The actor explained the deeply personal meaning behind his very first tattoo in the caption of his social media post. He detailed how the artwork connects to chapter four of his new memoir, Bloodlines.

In the book, Manganiello compares his struggle with a near-fatal autoimmune disease to his body mistakenly sending out soldiers to fight a nonexistent western dragon. He noted that the internal conflict left him with physical consequences that required medical intervention.

The decision to get the giant piece of body art served as a way to reclaim personal control. The actor wrote that choosing to cover his surgery scars with the sprawling design was his effort to take back what little agency he could following the traumatic experience.

The medical ordeal stemmed from emergency intestinal surgery in 2016, which kicked off a seven-year battle with a mystery autoimmune illness. Last week, the actor shared stark photographs from his time in the hospital following the removal of his large intestine, illustrating his severe weight loss.

Manganiello explained that his weight began to plummet in the days following the amputation procedure. He stated that he ultimately lost a total of sixty pounds during the two-week period after the surgery took place.

He also provided a graphic close-up image showing his abdomen after a subsequent reconnection and takedown surgery, which is also known as an anastomosis, where his ostomy bag was finally removed.

While promoting his new writing project, Manganiello addressed the broader focus of the publication during an interview on CBS Mornings. He emphasized that the work centers on the immense suffering he endured during his illness rather than his failed marriage to Sofía Vergara.

The trauma and physical pain significantly impacted everyone around him in unpredictable ways. He noted that he attempted to treat individuals mentioned in the narrative with an amount of grace.

Looking back at older photographs from when he first started dating the Modern Family alum, the actor admitted to experiencing lingering sorrow. He shared that looking at those images feels heartbreaking when reflecting on the unpredictable path their lives ultimately took.

Manganiello is currently engaged to Caitlin O’Connor following two years of dating. Through his new memoir and recent public shares, the actor continues to process the long-term personal and physical impacts of his multi-year health journey.