Joe Manganiello stripped down to a towel to give fans a close-up look at his enormous dragon tattoo, revealing a deeply personal story behind the intricate design.

The Magic Mike actor and Sofia Vergara's ex-husband shared a series of Instagram photos showing the artwork stretching down the right side of his torso and onto his thigh.

But alongside the striking images, Joe explained that his first tattoo was intended to cover surgery scars following a prolonged health battle.

"The idea to cover my surgery scars with my first tattoo, a three foot dragon down my right side, was my effort to take back what little agency I felt that I had," he wrote.

The carousel documented different stages of the tattoo, beginning with detailed black outlines of the dragon's scales, claws and curling body.

Later photographs showed the design filled with dark shading, a red underside and vivid orange accents. Joe held a towel around his hips while positioning himself to reveal the artwork.

He captioned the post "BLOODLINES Chapter 4 Enter the Dragon," connecting the images to a chapter in his recently released memoir.

Describing how he had tried to make sense of his illness, Joe wrote: "In chapter four, I related my struggle with the illness to my body sending out knights to fight a (western) dragon that didn't exist."

He continued: "The soldiers would then punch holes throughout my body when they couldn't find an enemy." His explanation made clear that the dragon represented something far more personal than a decorative addition.

The photographs follow the publication of Bloodlines, in which Joe describes years of illness, medical procedures and his search for answers.

His publisher describes the memoir as an exploration of illness, family history, faith and identity, examining how those experiences changed his understanding of himself.  Joe has described a seven-year struggle with a mysterious autoimmune illness for which he never received a definitive diagnosis.

Joe and Sofia married in November 2015 and announced their separation in July 2023. Their divorce was finalized the following year. 

During an October 14 appearance on SiriusXM's Radio Andy, host Andy Cohen asked whether Joe believed their marriage might have survived if he had been in better health. "Possibly, maybe," the actor replied.

Joe described feeling guilty about the impact of his illness on those around him, offering his perspective on the strain he experienced during their marriage. "I knew that everyone was sick of me, sick of watching me go through this," he said.