Jenny McCarthy recently revealed that she wasn’t into her husband Donnie Wahlberg’s boy band New Kids on the Block because she was simply “too cool” for it.
The 52-year-old Masked Singer judge explained that while the band formed in 1984 and hit peak fame in the late ’80s and early ’90s, she wasn’t quite the right age to be a fan. “If I were in my late 40s, I probably would’ve fit into that slot of New Kid’s fan, but I’m 52, going on 53, so I was too cool for that,” she told PEOPLE. Instead, Jenny was all about Madonna-she loved her music and even dressed like her, famously wearing shirts showing her bra strap.
Despite not being a fan of New Kids on the Block, Jenny did catch a glimpse of Donnie during his heyday on TV. She recalled seeing him on Entertainment Tonight, riding a motorcycle and trying to look cool. “I was like, ‘Look at that guy trying to look so cool on his motorcycle!’” she laughed. At that moment, marrying Donnie was far from her mind.
Jenny and Donnie first met in 2012 but didn’t start dating until 2013. They tied the knot on August 31, 2014, and have been going strong ever since. Jenny, who was previously married to actor John Asher, has a 22-year-old son named Evan. Donnie, meanwhile, has two sons, Xavier, 32, and Elijah, 23, from his marriage to ex-wife Kim Fey.
One of the couple’s sweetest traditions is renewing their wedding vows every year. On the Let’s Talk Off Camera with Kelly Ripa podcast in 2024, Jenny admitted she used to think vow renewals were “corny and weird.” She said, “I’m like, ‘That’s so corny and weird. Your wedding’s over. Just stay married.’” But it was Donnie’s idea to make it a tradition, and now Jenny loves it.
Jenny McCarthy and Donnie Wahlberg’s love story is far from typical. From Jenny being “too cool” to be a fan of Donnie’s boy band, to marrying him and embracing a heartfelt yearly vow renewal, their relationship shows how love can grow in unexpected ways. Together, they balance their blended family and keep their romance alive with genuine affection and fun traditions.
