Heartbreaking reason Mark Wahlberg gave up smoking weed

Mark Wahlberg opened up publicly about why he decided to give up weed after being hit with a heartbreaking realization.

Countless celebrities have been open about their experiences with drugs, alcohol and sobriety, with stories ranging from wild nights out to serious

struggles.

Everyone has their own reasons for giving up certain substances, and 52-year-old Wahlberg decided to discuss his reason during an appearance at the Palm Springs Film Festival in 2011.

The actor was awarded Variety's Indie Impact Award at the event, and while on stage he joked that the trophy resembled a bong.

While he might have been able to make better use of such an object in his earlier years, Wahlberg told the crowd at the event that he doesn't 'use those anymore'.

He decided to elaborate while on stage, sharing the eye-opening reason he decided to quit smoking weed.

Shareif Ziyadat/Getty Images

It happened after Wahlberg became a dad with his wife, Rhea Durham. Together, the couple share four children; Ella, 20, Michael, 17, Brendan, 15 and Grace, 13.

Wahlberg explained: "I stopped smoking weed for my kids. One day, we were driving and you could smell it from somewhere. My daughter asked what the smell was so I told her it was a skunk."

It was a good explanation at the time, but his daughter's response had a long-lasting impact on the dad.

Wahlberg continued: "Then she said, 'Sometimes Daddy smells like that!' to me and my wife. So I knew I had quit."

Quitting weed isn't the only way Wahlberg has transformed over the years. In the past he's opened up about getting in trouble with the law as a kid, racking up dozens of run-ins with the police.

Rich Polk/Getty Images for Janie's Fund

After welcoming his kids, the dad moved his family from Los Angeles to Nevada to give them a 'better life'.

During an appearance on The Talk in October 2022, he explained: "To be able to give my kids a better life and follow and pursue their dreams — whether it be my daughter as an equestrian, my son as a basketball player, my younger son as a golfer — this made a lot more sense for us."

Wahlberg added that he and his wife went to Nevada to give themselves a 'new look' and a 'fresh start' for the children, adding: "There's lots of opportunity here."

Following the move, Wahlberg said his kids 'love Vegas'.

"Everybody is thriving there, it's been great," he said.

Topics: Drugs, Mark Wahlberg, Celebrity, Health, Parenting

Emily Brown

Emily Brown is UNILAD Editorial Lead at LADbible Group. She first began delivering news when she was just 11 years old - with a paper route - before graduating with a BA Hons in English Language in the Media from Lancaster University. Emily joined UNILAD in 2018 to cover breaking news, trending stories and longer form features. She went on to become Community Desk Lead, commissioning and writing human interest stories from across the globe, before moving to the role of Editorial Lead. Emily now works alongside the UNILAD Editor to ensure the page delivers accurate, interesting and high quality content.