Donnie Wahlberg & Jenny McCarthy Call Lush Home A ‘Little Piece Of Heaven’ That Symbolizes Their Love

Jun 16, 2023

Donnie Wahlberg has been a crush for many teenage girls over the years, especially during the heyday of the boy band he co-founded, New Kids on the Block, during the late '80s to the early '90s.

While he was dubbed the bad boy of New Kids on the Block, he eventually proved critics wrong over the years when he became a family man. Wahlberg is more than just eye candy — he also has a good heart.

In August 1999, Wahlberg married Kimberly Fey. They share two sons, Xavier Wahlberg, born in 1993, and Elijah Wahlberg, whom they welcomed in 2001. However, they divorced in 2008.

Wahlberg met actress and TV personality Jenny McCarthy in 2012, but they only reconnected a year later. In March 2013, Wahlberg made an appearance on McCarthy’s talk show "The Jenny McCarthy Show." Reports soon surfaced that the pair were dating and in April 2014, the couple announced their engagement. They married four months later, in August 2014.

When Wahlberg married McCarthy, they both already had children of their own. McCarthy had one son from a previous marriage to John Asher. McCarthy’s son Evan Joseph Asher was diagnosed with autism when he was born. Despite McCarthy’s child being from another man, Wahlberg stepped up to become his father and treated him as his own.

In an interview with Us Weekly in November 2019, Wahlberg described McCarthy as an amazing mom and stepmom to their kids.  

“Besides being the best wife that I could have ever imagined having, she’s also the best stepmom and mother,” Wahlberg said. 

Wahlberg and McCarthy now enjoy their blended family set-up, and they even opened the doors to their fans wanting a peek into the beautiful home they have built for their children.

McCarthy and her ex-husband, John, met in 1999 on the set of the film "Diamonds," and were married that same year. They had Evan soon after, but after a few years, their union wasn't working. McCarthy filed for divorce in 2005, which was the same year they learned of Evan's autism diagnosis. 

McCarthy shared with People magazine that her marriage to Evan’s father came to its “inevitable end” soon after her son was diagnosed with autism at 3 years old. Jenny was left a single mother who had to raise a special needs son alone. It would be nearly 10 years until Donnie entered their lives to become the best husband and stepfather he could be. Donnie stepped up to fill that loss for Evan and the pair now have a bond that is just as strong as a real father and son. 

Donnie is one proud dad to Evan, who he described as an interesting individual.

“One of the interesting things about us as parents is my son is super intellectual and very reserved. So he’s not the, ‘Hey, dad. Let’s go out and play,’ or, ‘I love you, dad.’ He’s not that type. But he can carry on a great conversation,” he said.

The "Blue Bloods" star also formed a connection with McCarthy’s son that he didn’t get to have with his own children. The same goes for McCarthy, who became close with Donnie’s son.  

“So we’ve come into each other’s lives and our kids sort of, we connect with our kids in ways that we haven’t connected with our own. So with Evan, Jenny’s son, I get all this amazing ways to connect with him that I don’t get with my son and Jenny now can sit down with my son and talk about,” he remarked.  

McCarthy shared Donnie’s loving sentiment and said she and Evan’s lives changed when he came into their world. 

“Before I met Donnie, it was really difficult … Being a single mom is so difficult and then a single mom with (a kid) with special needs adds another whole difficulty to the basket,” McCarthy told Page Six.  

When she recounted their engagement story on "The View," McCarthy revealed, while holding back tears, that Donnie included Evan in his proposal, and after she had said yes, her son exclaimed, "I have another dad!"

Donnie proved his love for Evan isn’t just all talk. In fact, he already shouldered Evan’s college tuition, which McCarthy revealed was Donnie’s Christmas gift.

“One Christmas, early on, Donnie handed me one of the greatest gifts ever, which was, I don’t even know how to explain it, but basically that he was taking care of Evan’s college tuition,” McCarthy said.  

Donnie took to Instagram to congratulate his “awesome stepson” when he celebrated his 20th birthday in 2022. “Hope you have the happiest day ever, Evan,” he wrote.

Donnie said he couldn’t be more grateful to have found someone like McCarthy.

“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,” Donnie gushed.

It’s clear the duo are just crazy about each other, if their social media posts are anything to go by. On Apr. 29, 2023, Donnie posted a dreamy sunset photo of him and McCarthy together while she shared a touching video highlighting their relationship with the caption, “Thank you for making our love a priority and making everyday feel like the most ultimate adventure with my best friend, lover and soulmate.”

While Donnie and McCarthy are crazy about each other, they’ve nixed the idea of having any more children, choosing instead to take care of their four dogs, a Shih Tzu named DJ after “Donnie and Jenny,” Pomeranians Drogon and Nymeria and French bulldog Lumpy.

It appears Donnie has had an even bigger influence on Evan’s life as the youngster is now following in his stepdad’s footsteps. On Jan. 17, 2023, Evan took to social media to announce the release of his single called “It Doesn’t Matter” on Feb. 3, 2023.

“I promised you a big announcement and here it is! Check out the artwork for my first single “IT DOESN’T MATTER” coming out everywhere February 3rd. #singerslife #lovesong #recordingartist #family #anythingspossible,” the caption on his Instagram post read.

Both Donnie and McCarthy showed how thrilled they were in the comments, as his mother wrote: “You’re so amazing. So proud of you.” Wahlberg, meanwhile, wrote, “So exciting!”

It’s clear Evan will always have Wahlberg in his corner, a fact not lost on McCarthy, who told Us Weekly she would be eternally grateful for his “unconditional” support for them.

“There’s no words that actually even come close to the meaning that I feel. I’m most thankful for his unconditional love,” she said. “And not only for me though, to my son. Any single mom that knows our story can understand that because I think that’s one of our biggest concerns. Who’s going to love me with me and my child or children. Is there anyone out there, especially with special needs and the fact that this Romeo came along and not only swooped me off my feet, but my son and our combined families love each other. It’s I guess truly family and unconditional love that I’m just so grateful for.”    

Donnie and McCarthy love to document their family’s milestones and activities on social media and share them with the world. In one example, on Father’s Day on June 18, 2023, McCarthy posted a rare family photo of her, her sister Lynette McCarthy, and Evan celebrating the day with dads Donnie and her father, Dan McCarthy, with a spot of golf. The five of them were photographed shoulder-to-shoulder on the green looking happy to spend the day with one another. Jenny captioned the shot:

“A perfect Father’s Day with 2 daddy GOATS @donniewahlberg @chicagomacky ❤️❤️ Along side my son @evanjasher and sis @lynettemcphoto Happy Fathers Day to all the dads out there.”

In the comments, Donnie responded with a simple red heart emoji as fans gushed over the stunning family portrait. 

“So cute you guys!” one comment read while another user said, “Great picture of a great family❤️”

Meanwhile, Evan also shared photos and a clip from the happy day that showed him flaunting his golf skills by taking a swing that drove a ball far off into the distance. While the snaps were adorable, it was Evan’s caption that stole the show. He wrote:

“Had a great Fathers Day at the country club last Sunday with my amazing step dad.”

It’s clear Donnie and Evan share a special relationship grounded in love, trust and admiration. The time they spend and activities they enjoy together will no doubt cement their ties further. Donnie and McCarthy have also created a wonderful home for their family to settle and thrive in. They gave their fans a peek into their stunning property and showed off all the things that have made their house a home.

In October 2019, Donnie and McCarthy gave fans a glimpse into their St. Charles, Illinois, home. They gave People magazine a walking tour of some of its most beautiful and cozy spaces, such as the sizeable living room, welcoming kitchen and even Donnie’s office. 

“It’s the first house we looked at together. When we came in the door, I saw Jenny's face and I said, ‘I have to get this house. I just have to, this is the house,’” Donnie said.

Among the house’s most notable features are it’s five bedrooms, a Blondies cocktail-themed bar and even a hidden sewing room for McCarthy. To nail the “music man-meets-glam fashion” decor they were looking for, they turned to Chicago-based designer John Wolf to help. 

"We lived without furniture for a year or two because there's, like, a dozen teenage boys here all the time," McCarthy said. However, they soon realized the joy that would come from decorating the home once they acquired a key piece of the puzzle.

“We were happy living in a house with no furniture, and then a friend said to me, 'I'm selling my baby grand piano. Do you want it?’ And I thought, ‘Oh my god, I married a music man, so yeah,’” McCarthy recounted. “I called Donnie and said, ‘Well, it’s now time to get a couch so I can listen to you play.’”

Once they were set on the decorating path, there was no turning back. Around the piano in the family room now sit cozy sofas and chairs, as well as stunning pieces of artwork.

“It went from piano to couch to chairs to rugs, and then it just traveled from room to room to room,” McCarthy said. 

Meanwhile, Donnie told People they had to get the right look for the kitchen, which is now “the spot where everyone gathers.” And for good reason! The mainly white and gray-themed kitchen is decked out with a large island surrounded by high-top stools, a walk-in pantry that Donnie admitted to organizing himself and a black lacquered dining table, as well as a fireplace and an illusion flat-screen TV.

After sprucing up the interior with languid furniture and hip artwork, the pair moved to the property’s exterior.

Outside the home lies a luxurious pool complete with a water slide, waterfall and grotto, a spacious patio and one-hole practice golf green.

“We have a little trail we created just to take walks — it has a little Buddha and a fountain — and I know that means a lot to (Jenny)," Donnie said. “I know if she’s stressed or has worries about Evan or whatever’s going on, that little space is where she can go. We’ve just carved out a little piece of heaven.”

McCarthy said sometimes, she and her husband prefer to spend romantic time at home rather than going out. “We've had some fun date nights on that golf course — wink, wink,” she revealed.

Donnie said they actively “made (building a home together) a goal for ourselves and said it out loud because we wanted to make happen. And here we are, together with our kids, and we’re grateful for every bit of it.” He added:

“This isn’t an extravagant home, but there’s no greater symbol of our love for each other than this house and how much love has gone into it.” 

Aren’t Donnie Wahlberg and Jenny McCarthy just the cutest couple? What do you think of the home they built together? Let us know, then pass this along to all the fans of this gorgeous pair you know!