In a new interview this week, the Hollywood star Mark Wahlberg reveals why his four children make him stay in the car to watch their sporting events.
Wahlberg and his wife Rhea Durham are parents to four children: Ella, 17, Michael, 15, Brendan, 12, and Grace, 11. While promoting his new movie Joe Bell, Wahlberg explained that he strives to give his kids a normal life.
“Me being in the public eye, there are pros to that, but there’s a lot of cons,” Wahlberg told Entertainment Tonight. “My kids wanna have their own identity, you know? I’m not allowed to get out of the car at football practice or a game. I gotta sit in the car and watch.”
“At first I took it personally, because I wanna be there to support them, but supporting them is by making them feel comfortable in what they’re doing and them having their own identity too,” he added. “It’s very difficult.”
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Wahlberg’s new movie, which is due to be released on Friday, is based on the true story of a father who walked across America to speak out after his son, Jadin Bell (Reid Miller), was bullied for being gay.
“There’s nothing more heartbreaking than somebody who’s being bullied or picked on, or not accepted for who they are,” Wahlberg said. “And that’s gotta start in the home, I think. Making sure that you are talking to your kids, communicating with them, and first and foremost they understand that you love them unconditionally. You cheer for them and support them for being who they are, but they have to be able to communicate.”
“In the day and age that we’re living in now, where there’s so much divide, people need to love and support each other,” he added. “The only way that people are gonna come together is through love and understanding.”
Connie Britton, who plays Wahlberg’s wife in the film, stated that the movie is “about redemption.”
“It’s such a touching tragic story, but also one that we can really learn from,” she explained. “It’s because of Mark that the movie got made, and he brought such a passion to it. I think this felt like a very personal choice for him to do this movie, and his passion and his heartfulness was infectious.”
Check out a trailer for Joe Bell below.
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