Donnie Wahlberg reveals how therapy helped his marriage to McCarthy

Donnie Wahlberg He reflects on his 11-year marriage to Jenny McCarthy.

In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital, “Boston Blue” star. — who currently stars in the spinoff “Blue Bloods” — detailed how his past romantic missteps helped shape his relationship with McCarthy.

“Well, we had been divorced before, so we did a lot of individual therapy and when we got together we decided, let’s do some together, as a kind of preemption, because no matter what, every new relationship brings new challenges and sometimes we don’t even know what activates us, what makes us react to certain things and brings out vulnerabilities in us,” Wahlberg said.

Donnie Wahlberg knows where Hollywood couples go wrong in their marriage

“Boston Blue” star Donnie Wahlberg has admitted that past mistakes shaped his marriage to Jenny McCarthy. (Bob Coppins/Sportswire Icon via Getty Images)

“But new intimate relationships are usually where they come to the surface,” he continued. “Some of us are good at working in a work environment or with friends. We can give advice, we can deal with things, but sometimes you get into a romantic relationship and suddenly things bother you that wouldn’t bother you in other parts of your life. That’s because it’s the most vulnerable relationship you’ll be in, and that’s where those vulnerabilities come out.”

McCarthy Wahlberg began dating in July 2013 and married in August 2014. Wahlberg has two sons from his previous marriage to Kimberly Fey, and McCarthy has one son, Evan, from his previous marriage to John Asher.

The former Playboy model and Usher split in 2005. At the time, the couple had been married for 6 years and were grappling with their son’s diagnosis as autistic.

McCarthy shares her 23-year-old son Evan with ex-husband John Asher. (Gilbert Flores/Billboard via Getty Images)

In 2008, McCarthy told Oprah Winfrey that the diagnosis had had a negative impact on their marriage.

“I felt very alone in my marriage,” she said at the time. “He never sat down and said, ‘What did I find out on Google?’ “There’s never been that connection between wanting to know and being there.”

As for their second attempt at marriage, Wahlberg said he and McCarthy are prioritizing “putting the relationship first.”

“I think it’s both of us [put kids before our marriage] “In our first relationship, we will not make this mistake again.”

-Donnie Wahlberg

“This means doing the work to protect and strengthen the relationship,” he said. “And we put faith at the center of our relationship as well, and that’s the foundation for us, which is huge for us. But in any relationship, you have to put the relationship first.”

“It’s always hard to reconcile that, especially when you’re a parent, but they say on the plane, if something happens, put your mask on first before your kids. And I always thought that was the craziest thing. We have to take care of our kids first. But the theory is, if you don’t put your mask on first, you can’t help your kids. It’s easy to put the kids first and forget about your partner. And that’s understandable.”

He added: “I think we both did that in our first relationships and we won’t make that mistake again.”

Wahlberg said it was necessary to “put the relationship first.” (Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for iHeartRadio)

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Another tip? Go on dates, Wahlberg said.

“Dates are fun!” He said. “All the things we do when we first meet, we stop. We eventually stop. We get complacent. We don’t mean it, but you stop asking questions, you stop being curious, you stop making an effort, you stop sending flowers, you just stop. We only tend to stop because we start trusting that the relationship is strong and that it’s there. But I think if we keep giving it that fuel and that energy, that love that we started With it, I think it will really keep the fire burning.”

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Earlier this year, the New Kids on the Block star detailed the moment he knew McCarthy was “the one.”

During an interview with Fox News Digital, Wahlberg said that his wife of more than a decade was never jealous of his female fan base, even when he would kiss a different fan at the end of each show.

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“Jenny, when we first started dating, one of the reasons I knew she was a great girl for me, among the many reasons, is because I told her, I told her, ‘Look, I’m in this band. My fans will be there. “When I walk into a hotel with you, for example, and you know there are 50 screaming fans outside, I can’t just run and run into the hotel.”

The duo tied the knot in 2014. (Matt Winkelmeier/Getty Images for iHeartRadio)

“‘I’ve got to stop and take pictures. I’ve got to stop and say thank you. I’ve got to stop and sign autographs.'” And she said, ‘Okay.’ And I said, ‘Well, would you be good at that?’ She said, ‘Yes, I’ll take pictures with you.’ ‘I’m good,’ Wahlberg said.

Jenny McCarthy and Donnie Wahlberg celebrate their 10th anniversary by renewing their vows at the hotel where they married

He continued: “As I knew at the time. I said to her: ‘Oh, she’s the one.’ I already knew that, but you know, I talked to her.”

In 2023, McCarthy shared her husband’s feelings about what makes a relationship successful.

“Respect each other, communicate with each other, be friends with each other. Find date nights and do the work,” McCarthy told Fox News Digital.

“You know that saying… your partner is your best teacher. It’s really true. Anything you need to work on will show up in your relationship. We were always willing and still are willing to put in the work when things come up. And that’s really the case. It makes all the difference in the world.”

Throughout their marriage, the two have made sure to support each other on a professional level as well.

Wahlberg said his latest show, “Boston Blue” — which premiered Oct. 17 on CBS — represents “a great opportunity to keep faith, family and tradition on television.”

“It’s fun. It’s a lot of things, but I think first and foremost it’s a great opportunity to keep the ‘Blue Bloods’ world and Reagan’s legacy alive,” said Wahlberg, who played Detective Danny Reagan for 14 seasons. “It’s a great opportunity to keep faith, family and tradition on television and highlight the law enforcement family.”

“Blue Bloods” aired its final episode in December 2024. (Craig Blankenhorn/CBS via Getty Images)

“Of course, it’s a new family, a new world, a new city, and Danny is facing new challenges and being a father in the police department for the first time in his life,” he continued. “But it creates a lot of opportunities to explore the character in new ways that I couldn’t have access to before.”

The ‘Blue Bloods’ spinoff may welcome a familiar face to the screen – Tom Selleck.

“Of course, we have some surprise guests on the show already,” Wahlberg said. “I would do everything in my power to work with Tom again, and I fought so hard to be able to continue working with him on Blue Bloods, but it wasn’t meant to be. So, I hope this show is a tremendous opportunity, as I said, for a lot of things, but it’s definitely an opportunity to keep Reagan’s legacy alive. And that means, of course, any opportunity that I can work with any of the original cast, “I’ll take it.”

“Boston Blue” airs Fridays on CBS and airs the next day on Paramount+.

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