Donnie Wahlberg Is 1st Guy Jenny McCarthy Gave Her Number to —They Renewed Wedding Vows for the 8th Time

Jenny McCarthy’s biggest fear was being a single mother for life. She met and married Donny Wahlberg. The two have been repeating their wedding vows for eight years now. On November 1, she celebrated her 50th birthday. She’s thinking about adopting more children.

Jenny McCarthy is one of the most popular TV presenters in the USA. Despite her fame, the TV host still felt like she lacked something. She was also a single mother of a son that she shared with her ex-husband at the time.

But she longed for a relationship with someone she truly loved. She was happy being a mother with a successful career, but she didn’t think a lasting relationship with a man she loved would happen for her.

Donnie Wahlberg and Jenny McCarthy attend the 60th Annual GRAMMY Awards at Madison Square Garden on January 28, 2018 in New York City | Source: Getty Images

However, on November 1, 2013, Jenny invited Donnie Wahlberg onto her talk show, “The Jenny McCarthy Show.” Donny had a colored marital past, being the divorced single dad of two boys. It seemed the two got along while on the show, and soon after, they made it public that they were together.

In 2020, nine years after the two got together, they’re still together for Jenny’s 50th birthday. After being a single mother for a long time, Jenny enjoys having Donny by her side. In an interview, she said that she loves many things about him, but she stated:

“My favorite thing is that I found my soul mate.”

Jenny McCarthy and actor/singer Donnie Wahlberg arrive at the 2014 American Music Awards at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live on November 23, 2014 in Los Angeles, California | Source: Getty Images

After her divorce from John Asher, the TV personality tried dating a few guys, including Jim Carrey, Jason Toohey, and Brian Urlacher. Unfortunately, none of the relationships lasted longer than a few months.

Jenny Found Love When She Met Donnie

Jenny met Donny for the first time when both of them were invited onto “Watch What Happens Live,” with Andy Cohen as the host. However, back then, the sparks didn’t fly yet. When Donny went on Jenny’s talk show as a guest, though, the timing seemed right.

Jenny shared that although they both want more children, she has no interest in raising a baby again.

By that time, the talk show host had been single for a year, and the two hit it off almost instantly. During the show, they had fun talking about various topics, and the episode ended with the two playfully lying on the ground, sucking lollipops.

She felt an instant attraction to him, so she gave him her number. After the show, though, it took Donny almost two weeks to call her. She admitted to wondering why he wasn’t calling, coming up with different reasons why he might not be interested.

Eventually, though, he did call, and the two started getting to know each other. She also admitted that, at first, they may have looked at each other in terms of their public personas. They had to put all the press and stories aside to get to know each other:

“I think a lot of times we get caught up in the fantasy of who we think somebody is, and instead we trusted getting to know who each other are for real. So we paid attention to each other, we didn’t make up things, we didn’t Google each other.”

Donnie Wahlberg and Jenny Mccarthy attend Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2014 on December 31, 2013 in New York, New York | Source: Getty Images

They took things slow at first, just enjoying each other’s company. Donny said their previous experiences with past marriages taught them a lot. They both knew what led to things falling apart, so they approached the relationship from a mature point of view.

Dating as Single Parents

Jenny and Donny were already parents before they met, which added a whole other facet to their situation. Despite this, both of them enjoy the role of stepparent immensely. Donny opened up about how Jenny gets along with his kids:

“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.”

Donny has two sons, Elijah Hendrix Wahlberg and Xavier Alexander Wahlberg. Jenny only brought one boy into the mix, Evan Asher. Only two of the three are still living with them, but the couple seems eager for more young ones.

Donnie Wahlberg, Evan Asher and mother Jenny McCarthy pose backstage at the musical “Cinderella” on Broadway at The Broadway Theater on November 16, 2014 in New York City | Source: Getty Images

Jenny shared that although they both want more children, she has no interest in raising a baby again. She also noted that there are so many children in foster homes, and she believes they all deserve the love of a cohesive family.

After eight years together, Donnie has made it his yearly duty to surprise his wife in some new way on their anniversary.

Following this train of thought, it’s no surprise that the couple has decided to adopt once Xavier and Evan leave home for college. They are both up for the challenge, and they have each acknowledged the other’s parenting skills, saying that’s what made the relationship work.

Jenny McCarthy and son Evan attend the 6th annual Rescue Our Angels event at Studio Paris on April 23, 2013 in Chicago, Illinois | Source: Getty Images

Jenny praised her husband for the role he has played in her son’s life so far. She also thanked him for being willing and excited to welcome Evan into the fold. He understood from the start that when he married her, he assumed an important role for her son as well.

Jenny and Donnie Renew Their Vows Every Year

Besides each of them pulling their weight when it comes to raising their kids, they also understand how important it is to invest time in each other. The two have established a tradition of renewing their wedding vows yearly. Donnie commented:

“Some people ask ‘why do you renew your vows every year?’ Those tend to be the same people that also ask ‘how do you keep your marriage so new?'”

In August 2022, Donnie decided to make their eighth renewal of vows special. Although their wedding anniversary comes with this tradition, the musician wanted to hold a surprise anniversary at Madison Square Garden.

After eight years together, Donnie has made it his yearly duty to surprise his wife in some new way on their anniversary. He remarked that he knew this year would be tricky, but he loves doing the work just to see the surprise on her face. Jenny:

“Every year you surprise me with our vows and every year I fall deeper into the rabbit hole of love with you. Thank you for making our love a priority and making everyday feel like the most ultimate adventure with my best friend, lover and soulmate.”

In his social media post celebrating their anniversary, Donnie thanked his wife for “always for ‘taking care of my heart’ — as promised.” He went on to say that he feels unbelievably lucky to have her as his wife, and gushed about how much he loves her.

Jenny also had her 50th birthday on November 1, 2022. She celebrated with her husband and her family. In the Instagram post Donnie made to celebrate her birthday, the “Blue Bloods” star showered her with love and said, “[you] never cease to surprise and inspire me!”