‘Good Riddance to Mark’:Mark Wahlberg’s Big Move Brings Him Closer to Trump — and Fans Think It’s No Coincidence
Florida’s billionaire’s row has a new neighbor on the block — Mark Wahlberg. The “Play Dirty” actor shelled out $37 million for the swanky abode located in the Stone Creek Ranch community of Delray Beach. The move, however, has piqued fans’ curiosity, some of whom suspect Marky Mark made the move to the Sunshine State for more than just curb appeal and quick beach access.
The Boston native and his family — wife Rhea and kids Grace, Brendan, Michael and Ella — secured a fully furnished home with 18,206 square feet, seven bedrooms, 10 bathrooms, a home theater, a gym, a resort-style pool, a seven-car garage, and more amenities.
Suspicions about the acquisition include accusations that Wahlberg is among the wealthy who support Donald Trump. The Republican-governed state is home to Trump’s primary residence, Mar-a-Lago, and celebrities such as Sydney Sweeney, who has been praised by the politician, and Sylvester Stallone, who compared Trump to “the second George Washington.”
A skeptical fan remarked, “There’s your new Avengers….” after learning of Wahlberg’s real estate investment. “Florida. MAGA dumpster. No surprise these MAGA celebrities like living there,” read a critical response to the news. A third individual commented, “Good riddance to Mark. He’s a huge Trump supporter and makes crappy movies.”
To some extent, Trump and Wahlberg have built up rapport with each other. The “Flight Risk” lead has previously discussed crossing paths with the reality star on the greens. “I’ve played golf with Donald Trump… He’s an OK golfer,” he told The Guardian in 2016.
Trump announced last night that he intends to work with the state of Nevada to Build New Movie Studios to Rival Hollywood
Mark Wahlberg is on the same mission… to bring new Film Studios to Nevada.
This is pretty amazing, and if anyone is paying attention, you too can feel… https://t.co/4PDTHRtele pic.twitter.com/MllklOy7Nc
— MJTruthUltra (@MJTruthUltra) September 14, 2024
At the time, Trump was in the midst of his first presidential campaign. “I’ve gotten to know him a little bit since, at various occasions,” he added. In a separate interview, the movie star shared that he was holding out optimism about Trump’s leadership ahead of the 2017 election, though he never publicly backed a candidate.
The men were also photographed at the UFC 290 event in 2023. Their cordial interaction, which also included Mel Gibson and Joe Rogan, sparked backlash from musician Jack White. He lashed out, calling the actors and podcaster “disgusting in my book” for treating the businessman with respect.
The costly move comes two years after the Wahlbergs relocated from Los Angeles, California, to Las Vegas, Nevada. For some critics, the entertainer’s bi-coastal arrangements were a reminder of his past judicial woes. A reaction read, “Hey Marky Walberg, you can buy all mansions you like, just don’t go out and beat Vietnamese refugees? deal?”
Jack White is taking aim at Mark Wahlberg, Mel Gibson, Joe Rogan and Guy Fieri for meeting Donald Trump at events. “Anybody who ‘normalizes’ or treats this disgusting fascist, racist, con man, disgusting piece of s— Trump…is ALSO disgusting.” https://t.co/QTQFYc07tR pic.twitter.com/FbyS7wxGZE
— Variety (@Variety) July 10, 2023
The Hollywood A-lister was convicted of assaulting an Asian man for an incident that occurred in 1988, when Wahlberg was 16 years old. He was reportedly stealing alcohol from a convenience store when he struck an Asian man with a wooden stick and punched another in the face while trying to flee from police.
One of the victims suffered permanent loss of sight in one eye. Wahlberg served 45 days in jail. In 2014, he filed for a pardon in hopes of having the conviction removed from his record, but later withdrew the application due to public outcry. “I didn’t need a piece of paper to acknowledge it. I was kind of pushed into doing it,” he said.
Wahlberg has completely pulled out of Las Vegas despite his billionaire’s row purchase.
He still intends to launch a state-of-the-art studio in the dessert via a partnership with Sony Pictures Entertainment and Howard Hughes Holdings.
