rundown
Before meeting Mark Wahlberg, Rhea Durham established herself as a successful model. Durham has worked with numerous high-profile clients including Versace, Gucci, and Louis Vuitton. She takes her role as a mother of four children very seriously.
Mark Wahlberg rose to fame as the younger brother of New Kids on the Block alum Donnie Wahlberg. Originally a hip-hop artist known as Marky Mark, he turned to acting in the ’90s and went on to have an incredibly rich career as an action hero and comedian. He quickly proved adept at playing serious roles, earning him a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination for 2006’s The Departed. While Wahlberg was establishing himself as an actor, he met and married model Rhea Durham, and like many Hollywood relationships, their relationship has already lasted more than 20 years. Here’s everything you need to know about her.
Rhea Durham was ‘discovered’ as a teenager
Before meeting Wahlberg, Durham was a successful model who worked with designers such as Louis Vuitton and walked the runway at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show in 2001. Durham also appeared on the covers of the October 1998 issue of ELLE, the August 1998 issue of Mademoiselle, and the May 2003 issue of Lucky.
Durham, a Florida native, was “discovered at a Lakeland mall four years ago when he was just 15 years old,” the Orlando Sentinel reported in 1998. The model broke into the mainstream in 1997 after working throughout Europe for several years, and has seen booking roles with Carolina Herrera, Revlon, Gucci, Versace and the VH1 Fashion Awards, the newspaper reported.
Church is at the heart of Durham and Wahlberg’s relationship
Durham and Wahlberg, who have been dating since 2001, had one of Hollywood’s most successful marriages. Speaking to People magazine about their unexpected first date, Wahlberg explained, “We met in New York City while on a press junket[in 2001].” “I asked her if she wanted to go out with me and she said yes. Then the next morning I asked her if she wanted to go to church with me and she said yes again. So that was our first date, at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York.”
Rhea Durham and Mark Wahlberg attend the premiere of “Four Brothers” in New York City in August 2005.
The couple’s romance began with a date in a cathedral, so it’s perhaps no surprise that their Catholic faith played a big role in their relationship overall. In fact, Durham converted to Catholicism before marrying Wahlberg, and the couple wed at Good Shepherd Catholic Church in Beverly Hills on August 1, 2009. “She wasn’t raised Catholic like me, she was raised a Christian…and now she’s converted,” Wahlberg told Cosmopolitan. Digital Spy reported.
In December 2023, the Fear actor reflected on the importance of religion in his marriage to Durham, telling Fox News Digital, “We got married in a church. You know, we made that commitment to each other… It’s something we take very seriously.” Wahlberg pointed out that “communication” and “support” are the keys to a successful relationship, saying, “We love each other. I mean, like everyone else, we all have issues and problems. But we’re blessed to be able to put them aside.”
Durham ‘helped’ Wahlberg prepare to become a father
The Transformers star previously revealed that he “wasn’t ready to start a family” until he met Durham, telling The Sun: “I owe a lot to my wife. She helped me become the man I am today.” He continued, “I knew she loved me for who I was and that she was someone I could trust.”
In the same interview, Wahlberg revealed that sharing “the same values” as well as “physical attraction” was crucial to his romance with Durham. “Leah always wanted to be a mother,” he told The Sun. magazine. “She had a job, but her mission in life was to be a mother and a wife.”
Durham takes motherhood very seriously
Wahlberg and Durham are raising four children, three in their teens and one in their 20s. The couple’s first child, daughter Ella, was born in September 2003, followed by son Michael in March 2006. Their second son, Brendan, was born in September 2008, and the couple’s youngest child, daughter Grace, was born in January 2010.
In a 2007 interview with Cookie magazine, Durham talked about her daily life as a mother to Ella, then 3, and Michael, 1. “I love my life,” she told the outlet, People magazine reported. “It can be busy and stressful, but I’m really happy. I love family and home traditions. Babies, kids, holidays, that’s what I’m good at.”
Elaborating on how seriously she takes her role, Durham said, “As a parent, you always have to be on your game. You’re forming an adult. Disciplining, being consistent, is hard. There’s always a feeling of guilt: not doing enough, not living up to the standards.”
Mark Wahlberg and Rhea Durham and their four children (Ella, Michael, Brendan, and baby Grace) on July 29, 2010.
On July 29, 2010, Wahlberg received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and was supported by Durham and all four of his children. According to Today, the actor joked at the ceremony, “I’m so glad the kids are getting through this.”
In a 2014 interview with GQ, Wahlberg revealed that Durham was “very particular about what kids could watch.” Asked about which films County Durham could ban children from watching, Mr Wahlberg told Den of Geek, citing the 2012 coming-of-age comedy Ted.
That same year, the Play Dirty actor told Risen Magazine that Durham is especially vigilant when it comes to children’s online habits. “My wife keeps a close eye on what’s on the computer, but I have no idea,” he explained.
She launched a handbag line in 2018
In an interview with Us Weekly, Durham described her decision to start her own company, Ella Grace, as a “huge undertaking,” especially because “it’s hard to keep up with fashion trends.” The model spoke about her since-discontinued line of bags and wallets, explaining that she “created a collection around high quality and great style that you would be proud to put your family name on.” Ella Grace is named after Durham and Wahlberg’s two daughters, making the line a family affair.
“Four people is a lot!” Durham told the magazine about how she juggled starting a company and raising a large family. She continued, “Especially as they get older, they have more responsibilities…It’s a daily struggle to keep everyone on the right track.”
Wahlberg says Durham is ‘holding the fort’ at home
As a model, Durham achieved international success at an early age, but her current role is to support her family and help everyone thrive. Wahlberg spoke about how much he values his wife, telling Aleteia in 2024: “I find the job difficult…The support she gives me is the only way I can do it. Everyone goes home and knows that she is constantly holding the fort and supporting me from afar. I wouldn’t be able to do this without her.”
Rhea Durham and Mark Wahlberg attend AFI FEST 2016.
During the holiday season, Durham is clearly very organized and juggles many responsibilities on behalf of his family. As Wahlberg told Us Weekly in 2017, “When it comes to the holidays, my wife decorates, my wife buys the presents…In fact, my wife is the one who owns the holidays, and yes, she gives.” But the actor is well aware of how much his wife does for him, and said he always promises to “give her something special.”
In 2022, Wahlberg and Durham left Los Angeles and moved to Las Vegas to give their four children a better life.
