“True Blood” alum Joe Manganiello defended his character while discussing his new memoir, “Bloodlines,” with “CBS Mornings” host Gayle King on Monday.

During their sit-down, King asked the actor about recent pointed social media posts from his ex-wife, Sofía Vergara, and her son in apparent reference to revelations in his book.

“Her son posted a thing about, ‘This is what happens when you deal with a narcissistic man,’ and she has liked that post. So, they appear to be saying that basically, it’s terrible what happened to you, but the bottom line is that you’re a narcissist. What do you say to that?” King asked.

“I think anybody who said that should read the book first, and understand what the book is actually about,” answered Manganiello, whose memoir details his seven-year battle with a near-fatal, unexplained autoimmune illness, among other topics. “Because it’s not about that. It’s about the suffering I went through.”

Neither Vergara nor her son mention Manganiello by name in the posts King referenced, but they coincide with his book garnering attention prior to its release.

Vergara’s adult son, Manolo Gonzalez Vergara, shared a post on Oct. 8 comparing the differences between a “good man” and a “narcissistic man,” and his mother reshared it on Instagram Stories.

The post has since expired, but screenshots show that the post is captioned: “Remember kids, when dealing with a narcissist, it doesn’t matter how much you do for them, because they will resent you for it and nothing will ever be enough, and they’ll always somehow try to paint you as the bad guy.”

According to multiple reports, Manganiello writes that the symptoms of his illness started not long after he and Vergara wed and that it negatively impacted their marriage, which he says became “devoid of any emotionality whatsoever.”

Manganiello also reportedly claims in his book that Vergara refused to hug him and mocked his Chihuahua.

The actor told King that he tried to “paint everyone with an amount of grace no matter who they are, because it is a nuanced discussion.”

Vergara’s representatives did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

Manganiello and Vergara tied the knot in November 2015 and announced their separation in July 2023. Their divorce was finalized in April 2024, and Manganiello got engaged to TV host Caitlin O’Connor last year.

Watch his interview below.

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