Meet Mark Wahlberg’s multitalented wife, Rhea Durham: the 90s fashion model is the founder of handbag line Ella Grace, a ‘diehard Patriots fan’ and proud mum of 4

Dec 2 , 2023

Rhea Durham has always stood by her man, actor Mark Wahlberg. Photo: Getty Images

Scouted at a mall when she was just 14, Rhea Durham went on to model in Paris and appear on the covers of Elle and Vogue – and just moved from Los Angeles to Nevada with her family for a ‘better life’

She met Mark Wahlberg when he was doing a press junket in New York City, and their first date was at St Patrick’s Cathedral – but why did she call NFL CEO Robert Kraft her ‘secret boyfriend’?

In the late 1990s, Rhea Durham took the modelling world by storm as she graced multiple magazine covers and walked international fashion shows. Then, in 2001, she had an instant connection with actor Mark Wahlberg. The Hollywood actor and former lingerie model got married in 2009.

The pair recently made headlines for moving from Los Angeles to Nevada. Wahlberg said it was so that their children could have a “better life” and a “fresh start”, per People.

Here’s what you need to know about Mrs Wahlberg.

Mark Wahlberg and Rhea Durham’s meet-cute

Mark Wahlberg and Rhea Durham’s first date was in … a church. Photo: @byrheawahlberg/Instagram

Wahlberg, now 52, was doing a press junket in New York City in 2001 when he first met Durham, now 45. In an interview with People magazine, the actor said he just went up to her and asked her if she would go out with him.

The venue of choice for their first date? A church. They got together the next day after their first meeting at St Patrick’s Cathedral in NYC. Wahlberg said he knew very quickly that she was the one, but he needed to make sure he was “able to be the man I needed to be” for her.

The couple got married in 2009 at a private ceremony at Good Shepherd Catholic Church in Beverly Hills. Wahlberg credits his wife for helping him become who he is today, telling British media that “she has helped me become the man that I am and created a beautiful life for me and our children”.

Durham became model at 14

Rhea Durham was a top model in the 1990s. Photo: @byrheawahlberg/Instagram

Durham was just 14 years old when she was scouted in a shopping centre to do modelling work. The Florida native said during a 1997 video interview that she was modelling in Paris by the time she was 17. Achieving success at such a young age, Durham said in the interview, “I mean, I’ve grown up really fast. I feel so old. I feel like I’m 30.”

Ward Cottrell, the ModelScout owner who is credited for “discovering” Durham, told the Orlando Sentinel that she had the “right look at the right time”. He explained, “her look was so of the moment. She has a classical beauty, but it’s just ‘off’ enough to be edgy”.

Rhea Durham was described as having “the right look at the right time”. Photo: @byrheawahlberg/Instagram

She shot to stardom in the late 1990s, becoming a top name in the modelling profession and featuring on the covers of Elle and French Vogue.