Mark Wahlberg helped bag food at the store where he grew up. He has fond memories of the store now, connected to his mother.
Wahlberg had a difficult childhood that led to mischievous behaviors.
His mother has been an influential figure in his life, and he had a beautiful relationship with her before she passed away.
Mark Wahlberg and his siblings had a difficult upbringing, he has eleven siblings, and his family was not in a comfortable financial state. The siblings were all involved in different things, but a few got into illicit substances.
Wahlberg and his older brothers were some of the children who got into the illicit substances, but they have since turned their lives around and dedicated their lives to their faith and their families.
Recently, Wahlberg returned to his roots and worked in a store in the neighborhood where he grew up. Wahlberg worked for a day at the Stop and Shop, where he worked his first job. He took to Instagram to share the news that he was back in town.
He took a video of himself outside the store and inside, where he packed bags at the checkout. Fans were charmed to see Wahlberg there and stopped to take photos with him as he filled their bags.
He also shared a photo of himself in the store’s aisles and some of the things he and his family had bought from the store when he was growing up. Fans again stopped Wahlberg in the store to take photos.
Fans who didn’t know that he had been back in his hometown packing grocery bags at the checkout of the local store saw the event on social media and talked about how much they admired Wahlberg.
One fan called him a “humble man,” and another said he was “so down to earth” after seeing him posing for photos in the store with his fans. One fan said:
“Always repping where you came from.”
Wahlberg has often returned to his hometown of Boston to participate in charity events and spend time with people he knows from the city. His fans admire him for returning to his roots as often as he does.
How Was Wahlberg’s Upbringing?
Growing up, Wahlberg shared a room with his five brothers in a poor home. He believed he was the youngest of nine children, but later found that his father had had affairs and he had other siblings.
From a young age, Wahlberg was involved in illicit activities and substances. However, the family did not see it as an issue. In fact, when his brother was in a correctional facility, the family saw it as a bonus because he got free sneakers, which he passed down to his siblings.
Talking about reaping the benefits of his brother’s youth incarceration, Wahlberg openly admitted:
“They’d be four sizes too big, but we were actually happy my brother was locked up because we would get free sneakers.”
Wahlberg had his first drug experience when he was just ten years old. He stopped going to school by thirteen, and his mother was none the wiser because she was too preoccupied with her divorce from Wahlberg’s father.
Although his mother wasn’t there for him much when he was growing up, as he got older, the pair developed an excellent relationship, and before her death, they shared an unbreakable bond. Wahlberg says she is one of the most influential people in his life.
Now, because of how he grew up and his mom’s influence on his life, Wahlberg seeks to make the lives of those around him more manageable. He has hired people previously incarcerated because he recognizes that that could have been his life.
When he was 21, Wahlberg broke up with his then-girlfriend as she had had a comfortable childhood, and he felt he couldn’t relate to her because she had grown up on fifth avenue and was accustomed to things like housekeepers and money.
Now that he is one of the highest-paid actors, he uses his tales of his younger days to warn his children against the world’s perils; Wahlberg says they are never impressed by his stories. Instead, they find the stories dull and don’t want to hear any more of them.
Wahlberg has often expressed gratitude for his upbringing and said that growing up the way he did taught him how to survive even the most difficult circumstances. Now, he can make a difference in other people’s lives.
Wahlberg’s Relationship with His Mother and Wife
In 2021, Wahlberg’s mother passed away. He was heartbroken by the loss and was only ready to talk about it long after she had left the earth. Reflecting on their relationship, he mused:
“The first phone call that I made every single day for the last ten years was to my mom. And I don’t get to make that phone call anymore. And it’s heartbreaking.”
Before her death, Wahlberg’s mother confirmed that wherever her son was in the world, he ensured he called her often to see how she was doing and if there was anything she needed from him.
She said the phone calls meant everything to her, and she would even pick up if it were three in the morning. After his mother passed, Wahlberg was hit with the reality that his mother was no longer around on his birthday.
He revealed that his mother had a small gathering for him at her house every year on his birthday, and when she passed on, and it was time for him to cut his cake, it hit him that neither of his parents was around to celebrate with him anymore.
One thing that brought Wahlberg comfort in the months following his mother’s death was spending time with his siblings. He admitted they leaned on one another for support. He also relied on his wife and children.
Wahlberg has become a devoted husband and father and does everything he can to give his children the life he never had growing up. Yet he recognizes it is a fine line to walk, remarking:
“I don’t want them to be terrified of me, you know? But I don’t want them to think they can do whatever they want and get away with it, either, because they can’t.”
The actor believes in being involved in every part of his children’s lives so they feel they can talk to him about anything. He wants his children to have the things he didn’t have when he was younger.
He now has four children with his wife and says he wants his children to have opportunities and material things he couldn’t but doesn’t want them to grow up with a sense of entitlement and wants them to “have the tools to be great people.” He is a loving father and husband who now puts his family first.
