Donnie Wahlberg is a singer, songwriter and actor who is widely credited as a founding member of the highly successful band. New kids on the block. In the late ’80s and early ’90s, he became known as the group’s resident bad boy and was involved in several antics that found him on the wrong side of the law. Regardless, the boy band attracted a huge following and was considered one of the most popular acts in the United States. In 1994, the members decided to disband after a series of allegations that caused their popularity to decline. However, New Kids on the Block made their comeback in 2007 and have since embarked on national tours with other musicians.

After Donnie left the band, he shifted his focus to acting and began generating acclaim for his roles in The Sixth Sense as Vincent Gray, Band of Brothers as Carwood Lipton, and Blue Bloods as detective Danny Reagan. He has also appeared on the reality series Wahlburgers which chronicles his family’s fast food chain Business. He has been married to former Playboy Playmate Jenny McCarthy since 2014. His online following includes more than 1 million followers on Instagram, around 1 million followers on Facebook and 1.5 million followers on Twitter.

Born name

Donald Edmond Wahlberg Jr.

nickname

Donnie, Cheese, Ddub, Donnie D

Sun sign

Lion

Place of birth

Dorchester, Massachusetts, USA

Residence

St. Charles, Illinois, USA

nationality

training

Donnie attended the William Monroe Trotter School in Roxbury, Massachusetts. During this time he formed a close friendship with Danny Wood, who would become his future bandmate. He later attended Copley High School where he took acting classes and also played sports like baseball and basketball.

occupation

Singer, songwriter, record producer, actor, film producer

family

• Father – Donald Edmond Wahlberg Sr. (delivery driver) (died 2008)
• Mother – Alma Elaine (née Donnelly) (Bank Clerk and Nurse)
• Siblings – Arthur Wahlberg (Older Brother), Jim Wahlberg(Older Brother), Paul Wahlberg (Older Brother) (Chef, Actor, Reality TV Star), Robert Wahlberg (Older Brother) (Actor), Tracey Wahlberg (Older Sister) , Michelle Wahlberg (Older Sister), Deborah Wahlberg (Older Sister) ) (Died 2003), Mark Wahlberg (Younger Brother) (Actor, Producer, Model, Rapper, Businessman, Songwriter)
• Others– Axel Simon Wahlberg (paternal grandfather),Mary Madeline Bradley (paternal grandmother), Arthur Ambrose Donnelly (maternal grandfather), Leone Floyd Brisbois (maternal grandmother), Nathaniel Hawthorne (distant maternal relatives) (novelist), Donna Wahlberg (step-sister), Scott Wahlberg (step-brother), Buddy Wahlberg (step-brother), Jeffrey Wahlberg (nephew) (son of Jim) (actor), Rhea Durham (sister-in-law) (wife of Mark) (model), Ella Rae Wahlberg (niece) (daughter of Mark ), Grace Margaret Wahlberg (niece) (daughter of Mark), Michael Wahlberg (nephew) (son of Mark), Brendan Joseph Wahlberg (nephew) (son of Mark), Gina Santangelo (ex-sister-in-law) (ex-wife of Robert, Oscar Wahlberg (nephew) (son of Robert) (actor), Charlie Wahlberg (niece) (daughter of Robert),Maddison Wahlberg (niece) (daughter of Paul), Ethan Wahlberg (nephew) (son of Paul), Linda McCarthy (mother-in-law) (bailiff), Daniel McCarthy (father-in-law) (steel mill foreman), Joanne McCarthy (sister-in-law) (sister of Jenny) (basketball player) Lynett e McCarthy (sister-in-law) (sister of Jenny), Amy McCarthy (sister-in-law) (sister of Jenny), Melissa McCarthy (cousin-in-law) (cousin-sister of Jenny) (actress)Melissa McCarthy (cousin-in-law) (cousin-sister of Jenny) (actress)Melissa McCarthy (cousin-in-law) (cousin-sister of Jenny) (actress)

Manager

Donnie is represented by Rain Management Group in California.

Genre

Pop, hip hop, blue-eyed soul

instruments

Life

labels

Columbia Records, Interscope Records

To build

Muscular

Height

5 feet 10 inches or 178 cm

weight

76 kg or 167.5 lbs

girlfriend/spouse

Donnie Wahlberg dated –

1. Kimberly Fey (1991-2008) – Kimberly Fey and Donnie began dating in 1991 while she was working as a recording engineer for his brother Mark’s hip hop group Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch . They were together for 8 years before getting married on August 20, 1999. In his own words, Donnie spoke about her decision to get married “in case the world should end”. Together they are parents to two boys, Xavier Alexander Wahlberg (born March 4, 1993) and Elijah Hendrix Wahlberg (born August 20, 2001). Fey filed the divorce papers on August 13, 2008, a week before their 9th wedding anniversary, citing irreconcilable differences.
2. Aubrey O’Day (2008) – Singer Aubrey O’Day (ex-member of Danity Kane ) was featured on a beach date with Donnie in the summer of 2008. However, Aubrey denied the possibility of a romantic relationship between the two. She collaborated with Donnie on his single I Made It in 2010.
3. Jenny McCarthy (2013-Present) – Donnie met actress and comedian Jenny McCarthy in March 2013 while he was appearing on her talk show. The Jenny McCarthy Show on VH1 as a guest. Donnie asked her out two weeks after they exchanged numbers at the end of their torrid interview. Their first meeting as a couple was in August 2013 at a fundraiser McCarthy organized to benefit their son Evan Joseph Asher’s school. In April 2014, with little help from Evan, Donnie proposed a 10-karat yellow sapphire engagement ring to his sweetheart. The couple tied the historic Hotel Baker knot on August 31, 2014in St. Charles, Illinois. The bride and groom wore a custom made Di Santo dress and a black Reiss tuxedo. McCarthy was being led down the aisle by her son, Evan. Her former The View co-host Sherri Shepherd, as well as members of his band NKOTB, were among the wedding guests. Donnie’s famous brother, Mark, was conspicuous by his absence as he was planning to celebrate his daughter Ella’s birthday on the same day, but wished the couple soon afterwards. The newlyweds spent their honeymoon relaxing at the Glenmere mansion in New York’s Hudson Valley. After getting married, one of their annual traditions was to ring in the New Year with a kiss at Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Evein Times Square, which they’ve been doing since 2013. McCarthy also revealed that she and Donnie renew their vows every year on their wedding anniversary.

race/ethnicity

White

He has Irish and Swedish (25%) ancestry on his father’s side. He is of English (6.25%), Scottish (3.125%), French Canadian (6.25%) and Irish descent.

hair colour

Hellbraun

eye color

hazel

sexual orientation

Just

distinguishing features

• An intricate tattoo on his left bicep and a heart-shaped tattoo on his wrist symbolize his and Jenny’s initials
• Has a pierced nose and nipple

brand promotion

Donnie has done endorsement work for the following brands –

• Coke (1990)
• McDonald’s (1990)
• reeboks
• Ford
• farmers insurance
• Verizon
• Mountain Dew
• Mill

Known for

• Member of the award-winning boy band Neue Kinder im Block (NKOTB) (1984-1994 and 2007-Present), which has sold more than 80 million albums worldwide
• His successful acting career has featured in films such as The Sixth Sense, Sah Film Series and the drama series Boomtown and Blue Blood

First album

• With New Kids in the Block –

His band released their self-titled debut album in 1986 under Columbia Records. The album was certified 3x platinum by the RIAA in the United States.

• Featuring NKOTBSB ( New Kids on the Block + Backstreet Boys ) –

Their debut album NKOTBSB was released in 2011 and featured 5 tracks from the group, 2 new singles from the newly formed collaboration and a mash-up song.

first movie

Donnie made his big screen debut as Big Balls in the 1996 crime drama Bullet alongside Mickey Rourke and Tupac Shakur.

First TV show

In 1989, Donnie made his television show debut as himself in the Fall ’89 episode of the MTV show House of Style .

Personal trainer

Donnie is in surprisingly good shape for his age. He owes his muscular physique to the strict touring schedules with his band. According to him, he burns as many calories on stage as a boxer does in a 12-round bout.

His typical diet plan is as follows:

• Breakfast – He eats his breakfast at 6:00 after arriving on set. His healthy meal consists of a protein burrito with veggies, some fresh fruit, and a Starbucks black tea with milk and a low-calorie sweetener like Splenda.
• Lunch – Salad with grilled chicken, olives and balsamic vinaigrette
• Dinner – At the end of the day, he likes to kick back with a visit to the Peter Luger Steakhouse in Brooklyn. He indulges in a monster steak, accompanied by sides like buttered potatoes, thick-cut bacon, and creamed spinach.

Donnie Wahlberg favorite things

• Movie – Scar Face (1983)
• Exercise program – On stage with new children in the block

Donnie Wahlberg facts

1. Donnie’s parents divorced in 1982 when she was a teenager. He and Mark were raised by their mother.
2. His childhood crush was Willona Woods from the ’70s sitcom Good Times . The role was played by actress Ja’net DuBois.
3. At the age of 15 he successfully auditioned for a band originally called Nynuk. However, at the insistence of the record label, the name was changed to New Kids on the Block, which was the title of a rap song Donnie wrote for her first album.
4. His brother Mark was part of the band’s first line-up in 1984. However, he left the group a year later to form his own band. Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch .
5. Donnie’s first job was in a bank’s foreign exchange department.
6. He has a condition known as Greek foot, due to which his second toe is longer than his first toe.
7. Donnie is afraid of flying in big planes, but he loves smaller planes.
8. He lost 40 pounds to play the role of Vincent Gray in The Sixth Sense (1999).
9. Wahlberg started a fire at the prestigious Seelbach Hotel , Kentucky in 1991 by spilling vodka on the hallway carpet and setting it on fire. He was charged with first-degree arson and sentenced to 20 years in prison. He eventually got out with a criminal misdemeanor charge (and no jail time) after agreeing to appear in public service videos about drunk driving, fire safety and drug abuse.
10. Donnie is a big supporter of the Boston Celtics basketball team and is close friends with Celtic forward Paul Pierce. He is often seen sitting at court with his brother Mark during games.
11. After disbanding in 1994, MTV attempted to reunite the group for a performance in those years in 1999’s VMA’s . With the exception of Jonathan Knight, all members agreed, and so the project fell through. A similar attempt was made in 2003 for VH1 Bands Reunited , but the other members except for Jonathan and Jordan (Joey, Donnie and Danny) did not come on board. The band finally got back together in 2007.
12. On October 9, 2014, the multi-platinum selling band received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame . Her star can be seen at 7072 Hollywood Boulevard.
13. Fans of his band are commonly known as “Blockheads”.
14. Donnie, Mark, and Paul teamed up to open a restaurant called The Choice Burger in 2011. The burger joint, where Paul serves as Executive Chef, operates in more than 26 locations.
15. Donnie set a Guinness World Record on October 21, 2016 when he took the most selfies in 3 minutes. The famous band member posed for 122 selfies with his fans aboard the New Kids on the Block cruise in Cozumel, Mexico.
16. Donnie is the stepfather of Evan Joseph Asher, Jenny’s son and ex-husband John Asher. Evan was diagnosed with autism at the age of 2.
17. According to Donnie, he is his mother Alma’s favorite son.
18. In July 2017, Donnie visited a waffle house in North Carolina and left a $2000 tip on an $82.60 bill. He also gave a fan two backstage passes to his band’s upcoming concert.
19. He is distantly related to singers Madonna and Celine Dion through French-Canadian descent on his mother’s side.
20. Follow Donnie Wahlberg on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.