Boston Blue spotlights the Silver family in CBS’ new police procedural.
After 14 seasons on the air, Blue Bloods ended in December 2024. The long-running drama did not air again, but a spinoff, Boston Blue, premiered on the network on October 17th.
Donnie Wahlberg reprized his role as Danny Reagan, a former NYPD detective who transferred to the Boston Police Department. There he partners with Lena Silver (Sonequa Martin-Green), the eldest daughter of the local police dynasty.
In Boston Blue, Wahlberg’s character is a father. In real life, the New Kids on the Block singer is also the father of two sons, Xavier and Elijah, and stepfather to wife Jenny McCarthy’s son, Evan.
Here’s everything you need to know about the kids in the Boston Blue cast.
Donnie Wahlberg’s three children
Donnie Wahlberg/Instagram
Wahlberg played Danny for all 14 seasons of Blue Bloods before reprising his role on Boston Blue.
His on-screen character is a father of two sons named Jack and Sean. In real life, the actor had two sons, Xavier and Elijah, with ex-girlfriend Kimberly Faye. He is also stepfather to his wife McCarthy’s son Evan.
Wahlberg and Fey had their first son, Xavier, in 1993, and their second child, son Elijah, in 2001. McCarthy and ex-husband John Usher had a son, Evan, in 2002.
Wahlberg has spoken candidly about how becoming a father has affected his life. Speaking to the Mercury News about the birth of his first son in March 2013, he explained, “It may sound cliché, but I stopped living for myself and started living for him.”
“It stopped being about my legacy and became about my ability to provide for him,” he added. “I was 23 years old. It was scary.”
Wahlberg rarely appears in public with her children or posts about them on social media. During an appearance on Rachael Ray’s talk show, Wahlberg said “we shouldn’t talk” about Xavier on TV.
At the time, he explained: “My older son, I won’t say his name because he’ll get mad if he sees this, but he’s in a band.”
Despite their shared passion for music, Wahlberg emphasized that Xavier prefers to stay away from the spotlight.
Sonequa Martin Green’s two children
Sonequa Martin Green/Instagram
Sonequa Martin-Green has joined the cast of Boston Blue as Lena Silver.
Martin Green and her husband and fellow actor Kenrick Green are parents to two children, son Kenrick Justin II, born in 2015, and daughter Saraiyah, born in 2020.
Martin Green is looking forward to sharing moments from his career with his children.
Speaking to PEOPLE in February 2024, she revealed that Kenrick Justin II hasn’t seen Star Trek: Discovery yet, but is interested in the plot.
“But he was like, ‘Oh, why would they do that to you, Mom?'” the actress said. “We’re still there at that point, so I’m excited to be able to show him the show. And I’m really excited to be able to show my daughter, who wasn’t even here with us when we first started.”
Martin-Green also shared the importance of her work as the franchise’s first Black female captain, Michael Burnham.
“I mean, it really brings me to tears when I’m talking about what I can lead by example, what I can show them by example and teach them from my experiences, and how they can benefit from that,” she said. “That’s all.”
Ernie Hudson’s four children
Kelsey McNeal /Disney General Entertainment Content (via Getty)
Ernie Hudson plays Boston Blue and Reverend Edwin Peter, Lena’s grandfather.
Off-screen, Hudson is the father of four sons: Ernest Jr., Rocky (also known as Rahi over the years), Andrew, and Ross.
He had two older sons, Ernest and Rocky, with his first wife, Jeannie Moore, and two sons, Andrew and Ross, with his second wife, Linda Kingsburg.
Hudson’s two sons ended up living with him after he separated from his first wife, a decision that “surprised” him, Hudson told PEOPLE in April 2024.
Hudson later told Life of Dad that he doesn’t let his career get in the way of raising his older children as a single father.
“When we finished filming, we would often hang out and party after work. I had to go home to my sons. I didn’t want to look up one day and lose that connection with my sons. I had to be there as a single father,” he said in March 2015.
He took his presence seriously when he also welcomed his two young sons. “It was important for me to do this job because it’s a part of me and who I am, but it was more important to me to stay connected to my family and my children,” Hudson said.
“As my boys were growing up, there wasn’t a week that went by that I didn’t communicate with them or talk to them. It was important to be there,” Hudson added. “It was important to me to work. I grew up without a father, and I knew that no one else could fill that void. It was very important to me to try to do the best job I could.”
Not much is known about his children. According to a 1992 PEOPLE interview, Ernest Jr. planned to graduate from LIU Post (formerly CW Post) while Rocky studied film at Columbia University.
Most recently, Hudson appeared on “Celebrity Family Feud” in June 2016 with her four sons.
