condition

In a new memoir, Joe Manganiello is getting candid about the condition that nearly killed him and the measures he took in search of healing.

The upcoming book, “Bloodlines,” which hits bookstores and online retailers Oct. 13, follows Manganiello’s career in Hollywood from “True Blood” werewolf to “Magic Mike” hunk, his seven-year marriage and subsequent divorce from “Modern Family” star Sofía Vergara and his battle with a mystery autoimmune condition that he says nearly killed him.

The 2010s were off to a stellar start for Manganiello. He was landing notable parts in buzzy projects and fell in love with television’s Colombian Jessica Rabbit, but shortly after the couple said “I do,” the actor’s rise abruptly switched course because of health issues that left doctors stumped.

Adam Rodriguez, onstage from left, Kevin Nash, Channing Tatum, Matt Bomer and Joe Manganiello in “Magic Mike.”

(Warner Bros. Pictures)

“I was getting sicker and sicker,” he told People. Manganiello detailed debilitating abdominal pain, fevers, rashes, headaches, fatigue and ulcers in his digestive tract that caused bleeding and led to countless colonoscopies. In 2016, he was rolled into an emergency “major organ amputation” in which doctors removed a portion of his intestines and sent him home 60 pounds lighter than his normal weight, with a colostomy bag in tow.

“It happened to me, and it’s the truth, and I have all the scars to prove it,” Manganiello told the outlet. Doctors attempted to treat the actor with prescriptions used for patients with Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis, but nothing worked. An autoimmune disease seemed to be the culprit, he said, but such “conditions are a dumping ground for things [doctors] don’t understand. They start running you through this gauntlet of drugs.”

Manganiello said that, as a result of the illness, his marriage fell apart, he gave away his gun to protect himself from suicidal impulses, and he took in an itty-bitty Chihuahua named Bubbles.

He also started to pursue alternative treatment, which included a trip to Cuba, where he licked the pituitary gland in a goat’s skull, an esoteric ritual used to attempt a factory reset on a person’s immune system. When that didn’t cure him, he turned to a Santa Monica shaman who believed generational trauma caused the actor’s ailments.

“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.”

Manganiello revealed he’s since had reconstructive surgery on his digestive tract and is seemingly cured.

“I can’t believe I’m alive,” he said. “I feel like I was reborn.”

Oct. 2, 2026 9:11 AM PT

WASHINGTON — A Massachusetts man was arrested Thursday in a federal case alleging he cyberstalked conservative podcaster and former Trump administration official Katie Miller, targeting her dozens of times with menacing phone calls and messages, according to court papers.

Authorities say the man contacted Katie Miller at least 40 times over the course of several weeks, sometimes leaving disturbing voicemails and text messages about her and her husband, Stephen Miller, who serves as White House deputy chief of staff. He also sent messages to phone numbers for her parents, according to prosecutors.

John Anthony Proia III, 41, is charged with one count of cyberstalking. An attorney listed for him didn’t immediately respond to an email seeking comment on Thursday.

The court documents do not identify the victim by name, but a person familiar with the matter confirmed that it is Katie Miller. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss non-public parts of the investigation.

“Those who use technology to harass, intimidate or torment others should understand that attempts to anonymize their criminal conduct will not shield them from prosecution,” Leah Foley, the U.S. Aattorney for Massachusetts, said in an emailed statement. “We will find you, and we will hold you accountable.”

In a social media post Thursday, Katie Miller thanked Justice Department and FBI officials for keeping her and her family safe.

“Good to see a Boston grand jury indict this man,” she wrote.

The investigation contributed to upheaval inside the FBI’s Washington field office, where two top counterterrorism supervisors were recently reassigned by the office’s leader in part because of dissatisfaction over their handling of and approach to the Miller probe, according to multiple people familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss non-public personnel changes.

Darren Cox, the assistant director in charge of the Washington office, said in a statement that the reassignments were not ordered by Director Kash Patel and that the moves were a personnel decision “based on our constant evaluation of mission needs. Any suggestion otherwise is false.”

Richer and Tucker write for the Associated Press.

BILLY Joel has shared a new health update just weeks after undergoing surgery for a rare brain condition.

The singer, 77, who was diagnosed with normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) in May 2025, underwent a procedure to help improve his symptoms last month.

According to the NHS website, a hydrocephalus is a “build-up of fluid in the brain. The excess fluid puts pressure on the brain, which can damage it”, and NPH “usually develops in older people”.

He had a shunt implanted in his brain to drain excess fluid.

Earlier this week he shared how he has been feeling while on his SiriusXM show The Billy Joel Channel.

Billy said: “I know people are worried about me because they read that I have a brain disorder, which sounds a lot worse than it actually is.”

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Billy Joel, 77, reveals he’s undergone brain surgery as he shares health update

He added: “I’m okay” but went on to confess that his “balance isn’t that good”.

The performer also explained that he’s “lost a little bit of my hearing” – which he actually thinks is due to the performing on stage for years.

The star also confessed that he “appreciates” everyone but doesn’t want people to “worry” about him.

Talking about the surgery, Billy said last month: “I didn’t want to do that, but then I read up on it and I realised it can help improve your balance and can help your memory.”

He added: “You know, I don’t want to lose my marbles.

“It’s hard to tell what’s age and what’s a condition, so I agreed to do the shunt and I had a surgery, and they implanted a shunt in my brain and it actually improved things.”

After having the surgery, Billy explained: “My memory got better, my balance got a little better, my ability to function was better.” 

After being diagnosed with NPH, Billy cancelled all tour dates due to the condition.

Billy is best known for songs such as Piano Man, Uptown Girl and We Didn’t Start the Fire.

SAN FRANCISCO — Stephen Curry has agreed to a two-year contract extension worth $116 million that would take him through the 2028-29 season, a person with direct knowledge of the deal told the Associated Press on Friday night.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the team had not announced the terms of Curry’s contract. Curry was eligible to command up to $136 million, so he is giving his team a discount as he backs up his longstanding commitment to finish his career with the Warriors.

Golden State general manager Mike Dunleavy said last month he was optimistic of getting something done with the two-time MVP and NBA career leader in three-pointers.

The 38-year-old Curry will complete a $62.6 million extension he signed for the 2026-27 season in August 2024 before the new contract takes him through 2029 — which would be his 20th season.

Curry averaged 26.6 points, 4.7 assists and 3.6 rebounds but was limited to 43 games last season because of injuries. He has won four NBA titles with Golden State, most recently in 2022.

ESPN first reported Curry’s deal.

McCauley writes for the Associated Press.

WASHINGTON — Eight sailors attempted suicide while deployed with the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group, which spent a record-setting uninterrupted time at sea supporting the Iran war, the Navy’s top civilian leader said this week.

Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao provided the information to Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand in a letter dated Tuesday after the New York Democrat inquired last month about the strike group’s crew of thousands. The Lincoln’s extended deployment drew the nation’s attention following reports of crew stress and poor mental health, as well as supply shortages, including food and hygiene products.

Gillibrand asked Cao specifically if there were any suicides.

“There have been no suicides on board during this deployment,” Cao wrote in the letter, which was obtained by the Associated Press and reported earlier by CNN. “Since the beginning of LINCOLN’S deployment, there have been a total of eight suicide attempts across the strike group — this number includes the LINCOLN crew and Sailors from the carrier wing, strike group and destroyer squadron staff, escorting destroyers, and all embarked aviation squadrons.”

President Trump had downplayed reports about conditions on the Lincoln, which left its homeport in San Diego in November, arrived in the Middle East in January in support of Iran operations, and spent a record-setting uninterrupted time at sea of more than 260 days.

The carrier and some of its supporting ships stopped in Thailand in early September on their way back home to California. The Lincoln’s commanding officer, Capt. Dan Keeler, said then that the ship will be heading home soon but may make further supply stops. He declined to comment on the exact date the strike group is expected back in the U.S.

Last month, Trump called the nearly nine months at sea that the sailors endured a “good period of time” but added that “over the years, we’ve had them out there much longer.”

Trump told reporters in August that he spoke with a retired admiral who recounted being on ships for “much longer.” Trump said the admiral assured him that the Lincoln is “beautifully maintained and beautifully taken care of.” Trump did not name the admiral.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also had said that conditions about the Lincoln were “completely misrepresented.”

Gillibrand took aim at both in a statement released this week in response to Cao’s letter.

“What Trump and Secretary Hegseth dismissed as ‘fake news’ turned out to be serious and deteriorating conditions for our service members,” she stated.

“Our troops and their families make immense sacrifices every single day, yet the president dismissed them with open disrespect,” Gillibrand said. “That this administration can find endless taxpayer dollars for bombs, ballrooms, and billionaires, but cannot take care of our service members, is completely unacceptable.”

Extended deployments of carriers wear on service members who are away from home for long periods and increase strain on the ship and its equipment. The Navy is continuing to enforce a blockade on Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuz, and the Trump administration has offered no clarity on how it intends to wind down the war.

Finley writes for the Associated Press.

A guest on The Repair Shop opened up about how the precious item meant so much to her family.

A guest on The Repair Shop broke down in tears as she opened up about her son’s health.

The BBC programme returned to screens on Wednesday, September 23, with spin-off Beyond the Barn. The series follows experts restoring precious items from guests across the country, while also discovering what happened after the special items were restored.

Wednesday’s programme saw a treasured trophy revived, as well as a coronation scrapbook brought back to life. At the start of the show, Ruth Dalton from Rochester arrived with a gardening tool.

She sought The Repair Shop team’s help, including expert Jonathan Reid, in reviving her grandfather’s gardening tool, a pair of secateurs, so her son could use them.

She explained: “I have my late grandfather’s gardening scissors. He used them all the time, and I kind of wanted to keep them as a reminder of him and his gardening.”

She continued: “His name was Stan. He was a real, real green-fingered guy. He had a massive garden. I used to love spending time with my grandad. As children, we were always up there, helping him in the garden.

“There were little steps that went up to a big lawn and different archways. He used to tell us what plants you could touch and what they did. You know, ‘Don’t touch the roses, you might get pricked by the roses,’ and that sort of thing.

“He was very encouraging and did teach us a lot, gardening was his life.” Ruth went on to reveal that she herself loved gardening, though her own garden wasn’t “at its best”.

Ruth explained how she wanted the secateurs fixed so she could tend to her own garden, which was built for her son. She said: “His name is Samuel, he’s got a condition called Bainbridge-Ropers syndrome.

“He was only the 12th person in the UK to be diagnosed, and there’s about 300 worldwide. He’s coming up to 26 years old. He can’t walk, he can’t talk, he doesn’t really understand much but he loves being outside. His demeanour changes completely when he’s out in the fresh air.”

She added: “He can’t do things on his own but he really loves doing things like when we’re weeding and stuff. If he can reach them, he’ll pull the weeds out himself. So I thought these would be perfect because they’re just about the right size for Samuel to hold.”

She went on to point out some “dreadful” issues with the scissors, including how rusty they were and how stiff they were to use, as well as the old paintwork that was flaking off.

When asked how it would feel for her son to be able to use the same pruners that her grandfather once used, Ruth broke down in tears. She said: “My grandad’s always there, and his guiding hand on Samuel’s… I do things hand-on-hand with him, I almost feel that if he could use those, it would be my grandad’s hand helping him and to get him out there doing something purposeful gives him that little bit of independence. It would be special, he’s a special boy, he deserves it.”

The Repair Shop: Beyond the Barn is available to watch on BBC iPlayer