Donnie Wahlberg, a founding member of New Kids on the Block, shared his feelings of being “broken” and “empty” in his career before dedicating his life to Jesus.
“People in this industry are broken. I’m realizing that in this last year. I’m broken, too,” he told podcaster George Janko. “I’ve been on and off, like really wanting to commit my life to Jesus. And then I would do it…But I didn’t have the resources.”
Wahlberg revealed that he and his wife regularly engage in prayer and Bible study to maintain their spiritual grounding.
“I have a wonderful wife, wonderful kids. I have everything,” he continued. “So, as I am testifying right now, I don’t have a story of having everything and losing it. I don’t have a story of being a drug addict and recovering. And God bless all those people who find their way… Everything to the outside, to everyone, looks perfect, and I was empty. I was empty without Him, and I was existing without Him and trying to glorify him at times.”
Although he did not form a “deep connection to God” during his younger years, Wahlberg’s faith matured over time. He experienced a pivotal moment while working on the New Kids on the Block Las Vegas show in June 2025, when he realized something was “missing” in his life.
Upon expressing to McCarthy his need to “connect with Jesus” and “give [his] life to Him now,” the Scream 3 actress replied, “Of course.”
“Once I could talk to my wife about it, I knew there was no turning back,” the Blue Bloods actor said. “I couldn’t ask for anything more from her. And I’m still lonely. And it’s Jesus. It’s Him. It’s me letting Him in all the way. Like, being renewed in Him and fully surrendering. I couldn’t do it. And I thought I was.”
In another part of the interview, Wahlberg pondered one of life’s profound questions: “Why am I going to heaven? I pray that I am. I hope that I am. But I would only say because Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior, and it’s by His grace.”
