Inside Mark And Donnie Wahlberg's Brotherly Bond
Mark and Donnie Walhberg are easily one of Hollywood's most famous sibling duos. Their resumes are filled with so many credits it's hard to keep track. Both brothers started as original members of the 90s boy band "New Kids on the Block," but since leaving the band, they have both taken their own paths in the entertainment industry. Donnie went on to act in a myriad of films, but he is perhaps most well-known for his role as Danny Reagan for 14 seasons of the CBS crime drama "Blue Bloods." Mark also got into acting after "NKOTB," known for his role as John Bennett in the 2012 film "Ted," and he also ventured into producing, including the 2010 movie "The Fighter," along with many others.
On top of their careers, the Wahlberg brothers are also big family men; Donnie has one son with his ex-wife Kimberly Fey and became the stepdad to Jenny McCarthy's son when they married in 2014. Mark shares four kids with his wife, Rhea Durham, two sons and two daughters. With such full schedules, it may seem unlikely that the Wahlberg brothers would have time for anything else, but they prioritize their close relationship and try to make time for each other whenever they can.
Mark and Donnie share a close sibling bond
Sibling duo Mark and Donnie Wahlberg bonded at an early age, as they were the youngest out of nine siblings in the Wahlberg family. While Mark didn't think having so many siblings was odd, he admitted in a 2015 episode of "Wahlburgers" — their reality TV show based on the brothers' restaurant of the same name — that he was closest to Donnie.
"We were both the youngest, so we were the closest," Mark explained. "I mean, we spent a lot of time together. We were inseparable."
Donnie seconded Mark's claim that they were closest to each other growing up. "I'm probably the closest person to Mark in his entire life and vice versa since we were kids," he said in a People interview in 2018. While Donnie and Mark have both admitted that they don't see enough of each other due to their crazy schedules, they try to make an effort to connect when they can, like when Mark was escorted by 50 Cent to one of Donnie's concerts in 2015.
Mark and Donnie's relationship hasn't always been easy
While Donnie and Mark Wahlberg share a very close relationship and prioritize their time together, their brotherly bond hasn't always been easy to maintain. Since both brothers have their own families, sometimes schedules don't line up — like when Mark was noticeably absent from Donnie's wedding to Jenny McCarthy because he was celebrating his daughter's birthday. The inconsistency put a strain on their relationship, as Donnie detailed in an episode of McCarthy's SiriusXM radio show in 2016.
"Obviously, we're brothers and partners in business, and our relationship is fine, but it's different," he explained. "We've grown so far apart, just through work and career and things that are important."
Despite the distance between the siblings, Donnie also noted that when Mark introduced New Kids on the Block before their 2011 Fenway Park concert, it made him realize just how far everyone has come from their beginnings in the band. "When Mark acknowledged that he introduced us at the first show and now it's come full circle to acknowledging us and introducing us at Fenway, I'd forgotten that he did that. That's what moved me. It's the 'Look how far we've all come.'"