Donnie Wahlberg was given a second chance in love and in life. And, by the sounds of it, he’s doing a fantastic job! He has a wonderful wife and three children who adore him!
His life has been full of ups and downs, culminating in his current situation.
Donnie Wahlberg’s surname may sound familiar because he is related to one of Hollywood’s most famous actors, Mark Wahlberg. But his brother is not the only actor in the family; Donnie has established a successful career in the industry as an actor and musician.
Donnie’s personal life has been filled with heartbreak. He married Kim Fey after five years of dating her. Sadly, the marriage did not last. In 2008, the couple filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences as the reason.
Xavier and Elijah are the names of the couple’s two children. Donnie Wahlberg has visitation rights, but their mother has primary custody. According to all accounts, the couple is on good terms and has mastered the art of co-parenting their children.
Donnie was single for years until he met actress and television personality Jenny McCarthy. The couple has been married for over eight years, but it took a long time and a lot of heartbreak for them to find each other.
Jenny was previously married to director John Asher before marrying Donnie. She met the director on the set of “Diamonds” in 1999, and the couple married the following year. Evan, their son, was born soon after their marriage.
Jenny McCarthy filed for divorce in 2005, citing irreconcilable differences, after they had been married for six years.Jenny’s book, “Louder than Words: A Mother’s Journey in Healing Autism.” details the breakdown of her marriage.
Her son was diagnosed with autism in the same year, 2005. While the diagnosis shocked her, it did not upset her or change her feelings about her son in the least.
She was unaffected by his diagnosis and continued to work and focus on her son by taking him to UCLA specialists and programs.
She admits that her son’s diagnosis had an effect on her marriage with her husband. “John was starting to get angry at me because he felt ignored. The only fantasies I wanted to imagine were Evan being able to say, ‘I love you, mommy.’ I didn’t care if I never had sex again.”
The couple decided that Asher should be the one to leave the family home. While the actress lived there with her son, she was responsible for his care and medical bills on her own.
However, she soon met comedic legend Jim Carrey and fell in love. Carrey was very involved with her son and adored Jenny. On Valentine’s Day, the actor famously hired a helicopter to display a loving message for his girlfriend.
Fans adored the couple and supported them. Fans were understandably upset when the couple announced their split in 2010. McCarthy stated publicly that the relationship ceased to be enjoyable and, as a result, ended.
Donnie Wahlberg and Jennie McCarthy had a lot in common when they first met. They had both married for the first time in 1999 and had children with their ex-spouses.
Donnie met Jenny for the first time in 2012 and was instantly smitten with her. But it wasn’t until a year later, on the “Jenny McCarthy Show,” that he decided to make a move and ask her out.
After a few years of dating, the actor decided to propose to his girlfriend. He included Jenny’s autistic son Evan in the proposal as well, demonstrating how close the couple is.
In an interview, she described the proposal, saying,“This weekend I was sitting with Donnie … and he went into the other room and out came Evan with a card that said ‘Will’ and he handed it to me.”
“Then Evan ran away, and Evan came in with a card that said ‘You.’… I just started crying, and then Evan came back into the room with the word ‘Marry’ — but spelled wrong.”
She realized it was a proposal at that point and exclaimed, “YES!” At this point, Evan chimed in,“I have another dad,” and the trio shared a tender moment together.
The couple married in St. Charles, Illinois. Evan was present at every aspect of the wedding, even walking his mother down the aisle. Donnie became Evan’s stepfather as soon as they married.
The couple has a close and loving relationship with one another. Donnie once said of his wife, “Besides being the best wife that I could have ever imagined having, she’s also the best stepmom and mother. She’s a great partner, and to simplify it, having someone to build traditions with my children and it being Jenny is probably the thing I’m most grateful for.”
Every year, the couple renews their vows. This, they claim, helps them maintain the spark in their relationship.
Evan and Donnie have a wonderful friendship. Donnie gave his wife the best Christmas present ever in 2019.“One Christmas, early on, Donnie handed me one of the greatest gifts ever, which was…that he was taking care of Evan’s college tuition.”
The blended family is extremely close and adores one another. The “Band of Brothers” actor had no trouble connecting with Evan because he was already a father of two boys. Jenny, on the other hand, is close to Donnie’s sons from his previous marriage.
While the couple has been married for some time, they do not have any biological children together. They revealed in 2017 that they made this decision to relax and enjoy their golden years.
Evan’s father is back in his life now that he is an adult. Asher admits that he handled his son’s diagnosis poorly and that he needed to be a better father.
He now has a wonderful relationship with his son. He even directed “A Boy Called Po,” a film inspired by his son, which he encourages everyone to watch.
On one occasion, he stated, “I didn’t make the movie to make money. I made the movie to educate people more than anything. So, really, for me, I just want people to see it, and I don’t care how they see it. I just want them to see it.”
Asher is still unmarried, but he has developed a strong bond with his son. They have a wonderful relationship.