COUPLESJenny McCarthy and Donny Wahlberg Admit They 'Like to Sneak Off at Parties' to 'Take Advantage of the Moment': 'We Work at Keeping It Hot'
Jenny McCarthy and Donny Wahlberg shared their secrets to keeping their marriage 'hot.'
Jenny McCarthy and Donnie Wahlberg are proving that a decade of marriage doesn’t mean they've let the spark fade.
In a recent interview, the couple opened up about how they keep their relationship fun, flirty and full of passion — both in public and private moments.
“We like to sneak off at parties,” McCarthy, 52, revealed. “If someone has a Christmas party, we’re going to find the basement bathroom, take advantage of the moment.”
The couple revealed they 'like to sneak off at parties' to 'take advantage of the moment.'
Public displays of affection are also part of their playbook, as Wahlberg, 55, recalled a memorable moment from the 2014 Creative Arts Emmys.
“We hear this voice say, ‘Get a room,’” the Dream Catcher star recalled. “I was like, ‘That sounded like the voice of God.’ It was Morgan Freeman. He walked by and winked at us.”
When the couple tied the knot that same year, they made a pact to go “all in” on their marriage.
“We work at keeping it hot,” the Blue Bloods star said. “Of course we love each other and we’re attracted to each other, but we also give it care. That’s how you keep [the spark] alive. We don’t take for granted that it’s been 10 years and we don’t have to do that stuff anymore. Keep doing it.”
Donnie Wahlberg recalled a memorable makeout session at the 2014 Creative Arts Emmys when Morgan Freeman told them to 'get a room.'
Beyond the romantic gestures, they’ve found other ways to keep things spicy.
“It’s not hard. I wake up and I’m like, ‘Pinch me. This is crazy,” Wahlberg shared.
McCarthy added that true intimacy goes beyond physical attraction, saying, “Nothing is s------ than respecting each other. When Donnie supports me, that’s the best foreplay ever.”
“My hair will be frizzy and sticking up, and I’ll be wearing sweatpants with holes from college, and my breath will smell, and he’ll be like, ‘You’ve never looked more beautiful.’ When you reach this level of love and trust, there almost isn’t a physical exterior anymore,” she added.
The couple lives near Chicago with the actress’ 22-year-old son, Evan, and their pack of pups. Wahlberg also shares sons Xavier, 31, and Elijah, 23, with his first wife, Kimberly Fey.
The duo tied the knot in 2014.
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Their rock-solid bond didn’t come without challenges, though as both have had to work through past relationship trauma.
“One time she was backstage at my concert and she slammed her laptop shut when I walked in the room. I was like, ‘What is she hiding?’ Because of my journey, I immediately thought, ‘She’s hiding something.’ What I didn’t know is that because of her journey, she was afraid I’d yell at her for being on her laptop,” the Saw actor recalled. “It was really hard for me in the beginning because I’ve gone through quite the history of hardships in relationships. I’ll put it nicely like that. I had built up such a shield. Being able to take that armor off has been wonderful.”
McCarthy shared her own struggles, as well, explaining: “I was in a relationship where I had a phone casket at the front door. I was forced to put my phone in and then I could continue into the house and be in the relationship. If I ever snuck it out and he walked in, it was like, ‘I’m going to get in trouble.’ That’s a perfect example of someone projecting their past into their current relationship. I wasn’t conscious of it. We were smart enough to talk it out, and then Donnie had such empathy for me.”
Fortunately, by being “vulnerable enough to share that with each other,” they were able to grow “closer” as a couple.
When asked if divorce was ever on the table, Wahlberg didn’t hesitate for a second.
“It’s not something that is even remotely possible,” he declared, to which his wife wholeheartedly agreed, adding, “It is ’til death do us part. We know that.”
Jenny McCarthy and Donnie Wahlberg live in St. Charles, Illinois.
The couple also opened up more about the dynamics of their relationship and how they’ve built a strong foundation over the years.
“I don’t think it took 10 years for us to figure it out. I don’t want to sound like we’re the greatest marriage experts in the world, but we had similar journeys: We’ve both been divorced, and we learned a lot before we met each other,” the Ransom alum said.
“I knew when we started dating there was no turning back,” Wahlberg continued. "Prioritizing the marriage. If we put things before the relationship, we have a weak foundation. We went in [saying], ‘Let’s give it everything we’ve got and make it the center of our lives.’"
The Santa Baby star added: "We’re always learning from each other. Our goal in life is to grow spiritually and get better as human beings, and we’re constantly welcoming the lessons that come our way. We do the work.”
Us Weekly interviewed the couple.
