Before marrying Donnie Wahlberg, Jenny McCarthy was married to director John Asher. They met on the set of the film “Diamonds” in 1999 and began a whirlwind romance that led to their marriage the following year.

Their son, Evan, was born not long after the wedding. The doting mother discovered her child had autism in 2005; nonetheless, the diagnosis did not damper her great motherly love for her child.

McCarthy told Oprah Winfrey that it all started with “hand flapping,” and then Evan had a seizure that doctors thought was caused by a fever. Three weeks later, while visiting McCarthy’s parents, Evan began walking around with a stoned expression on his face and frothing at the mouth.

McCarthy immediately noticed that her child was having another seizure. It was different since he wasn’t convulsing. When the paramedics arrived, the frightened mother informed them that her son’s heart had stopped. According to McCarthy,

«They looked at me as if I was crazy. «I have no idea why.»

The paramedics determined that Evans’ heart was no longer beating after thoroughly inspecting him. They responded by doing CPR. At the hospital, doctors dismissed it as epilepsy, but McCarthy’s instincts were not convinced.

After some time, it became apparent that Evan was autistic, and McCarthy’s instincts did not challenge it. Her life altered dramatically after that.

The diagnosis had an impact on a number of things, including McCarthy’s relationship with John Asher, a filmmaker. McCarthy gave Evan her undivided attention in the early days after discovering his autism, which irritated Asher.

He would grow upset because he believed his wife was unconcerned about his needs because she was obsessed with her son. McCarthy persevered in working hard and taking her child to UCLA professionals to learn about various programs.

McCarthy was left to care for their child, whose medical and care expenditures she handled on her own when the couple split. McCarthy and Asher’s six-year marriage ended in divorce. Irreconcilable differences were stated in the divorce papers she served in 2005.

Donnie Wahlberg first saw McCarthy in 2012 and fell in love with her, but nothing happened between them until a year later, when he met her on her self-titled show. He invited her out, and they continued to see each other and became closer.

Wahlberg proposed to McCarthy in 2014, with the aid of her son. In an interview, the adoring mother described the proposal, including Evan’s involvement, saying:

«I was sitting with Donnie this weekend. He walked into another room, and out came Evan with a card that said ‘Will,’ which he presented to me.»

Evan dashed away after handing over the card, only to return with another card with the word “you” scribbled on it. McCarthy screamed, “Yes!” as Evan approached with another card that had the word “Mary” misspelled. Evan answered by stating that he now had a new father, and the three shared a touching family moment.

After admitting that he handled the news of his son’s diagnosis poorly when he was younger, his biological father has decided that now that he is older, he has a role to play in his son’s life.

McCarthy married Wahlberg the next year, and Evan was the guy who escorted his mother down the aisle, claiming it was the “most important job at the wedding.”

Wahlberg has never regretted marrying McCarthy and is always complimentary of her. He once referred to her as their children’s “best wife” and “best stepmom and mother.” McCarthy’s two boys, Xavier and Elijah, whom he shares with his ex-wife, Kimberly Fey, are raised by McCarthy as stepchildren.

Wahlberg and McCarthy have formed great bonds with one other’s children, which has served them well. Wahlberg previously stated that they have been able to connect with each other’s children in ways that they have not been able to do with their own.

He noted that his child is more intelligent than reserved, yet Evan is always vocal about his feelings. McCarthy is able to have a more adult dialogue with his kid as a result, and McCarthy connects with Evan in a different way.

Wahlberg has always had a close bond with Evan and treats him as if he were his own child. When Evan turned 20, Wahlberg wished him a happy birthday on social media, calling him an «awesome stepson.» McCarthy also expressed gratitude for Wahlberg’s unfailing devotion to her and her children.

Evan is now older, and his autism hasn’t limited his life too much, owing to his mother, who never gave up on him, and his stepfather, who always treated him decently.

His biological father has decided that now that he is older, he has a role to play in his son’s life after acknowledging that he handled the news of the diagnosis poorly and should have done better as a parent. He may get closer to Evan through time, but one thing he can never alter is what happened to his mother.

McCarthy admires Wahlberg, who lavishes her with gifts and compassion. He offered her what she considered the nicest Christmas gift ever in 2019: he stated he would pay Evan’s tuition costs.