Category - Celebrity
Who Is Mark Wahlberg's Wife? Get to Know Gorgeous Model Rhea Durham
Mark Wahlberg, aka Marky Mark for the OG fans, has long been a leading actor in Hollywood, far removed his early rapping days. But for all his muscular bulk and memorable roles, the Boston native (whose latest movie Flight Risk just hit theaters) likes to keep his personal life mostly off the radar. Who is his wife? Rhea Durham. And the Oscar nominee has been married to her for more than 20 years. In other words, they're rock solid in Hollywood terms. Here’s everything you need to know about Wahlberg and Durham’s relationship.
Who Is Rhea Durham?
Rhea Durham worked as a model in the 1990s and early 2000s. She and Wahlberg (who’s also had his moments as a model) have been together since 2001, according to Parade.
“I owe a lot to my wife. She has helped me become the man that I am and created a beautiful life for me and our children,” Wahlberg, 53, told The Sun in 2018. “I also knew that she loved me for who I am and that she was someone I could trust. Until I met her, I wasn’t ready to have a family.”
As for her modeling days, Durham, 46, was originally discovered by a scouter in a shopping mall when she was 14. She ended up going to Paris a few years later and eventually scored cover shoots with Elle, Marie Claire, and Vogue France. Durham also walked in the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show in 2000 and 2001. And she has a bit of acting under her belt too, having done a cameo appearance playing herself in a 2001 episode of the sitcom Spin City.

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How Did They Meet?
The famous couple met in 2001 while Wahlberg was in New York City to do press. Luckily, he got more out of the trip.
“I asked her if she wanted to come out with me, and she said yes,” Wahlberg told People in 2010. “Then I asked her if she wanted to come to church with me the next morning, and she said yes again. So that was our first date: St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York.”
It may not have been love at first sight, but Wahlberg confessed that he knew Durham was “the one” shortly after their rendezvous. Yet he “still had to make sure that I was able to be the man I needed to be.” As in, no more Marky Mark of the Funky Bunch; more, well, marriage material.
Related: Who Is Emily Blunt’s Husband? All About 'The Office' Actor John Krasinski
When Did They Get Married?
Wahlberg and Durham kept it L.A. with their vows: They wed on August 1, 2009, in Beverly Hills, following a substantial eight-year period of dating. And they already had three kids at the time.
“We were like a married couple anyway—we just wanted to make it official,” Wahlberg recalled of the vows to People.
Do They Have Kids?
Yes, a brood of four: Ella Rae (born in 2003), Michael (2006), Brendan (2008), and Grace (2010).
“Four is a lot!” Durham told Us Weekly in 2018. “Especially as they are getting older, there is a lot more responsibility. It’s a daily fight to keep everyone on track.”
Despite his early bad boy image, Wahlberg takes his fatherhood duty seriously.
“My mission in life is to raise my kids right. With all the success I’ve had in the world, if I fail at that, my life means nothing,” he added in The Sun interview. “Raising your kids is the most challenging, but also the most rewarding role. I always try to instill in them as many positive values as I can and also try to lead by example in terms of working hard and being a good husband who takes his commitment to his family very seriously.”