Donnie Wahlberg is feeling sentimental about an important time of his life, and he has a personal remnant to prove it.
In a new video uploaded on the Blue Bloods star's Instagram, the actor and musician reflected on his time being in the hit boy band New Kids on the Block. The short snippet featured a montage of the group's early days, in which Donnie wore a pair of artfully cutup light wash jeans. It turns out that he's kept the clothing piece since the 1980s, as the clip ended with him holding up the tattered garment from backstage. To commemorate the moment, the singer wrote a personal caption showcasing how the pants echoed both his career and personal growth.
"#ThrowbackThursday sometime back in 1988. I cut these jeans up myself," he wrote on May 18. "Trying to, as I often did, come up with something unique to wear when performing with this crazy new band that I helped form ... The first time I wore them, I felt both very cool and very self conscious. Not quite ready to own my individuality, while also being very aware of the need to establish myself as an individual."
"When [wife] Jenny [McCarthy] and I found [the jeans] in storage ... a lot of emotion came up inside of me," he continued. "Shock. Gratitude. Amazement. It also had me reflecting on the early struggles — all the dumb stuff that we used to worry about as a band and the humble beginnings from which we came ... Mostly though, I felt this great rush of excitement knowing that I’d be able to share what I’d found with all of you."
When longtime fans saw Donnie get emotional over his days being in New Kids on the Block, they immediately showered him with heartfelt words about the band — and the iconic jeans.
"Those jeans are iconic and should go in a music museum somewhere!" one person wrote on Instagram. "They were definitely a thing, love this, you always seemed so sure and confident. Always you xx," another replied. "So much emotion packed into this one post. 🤖❤️♾️," a different follower responded.
While Donnie has since retired the jeans in favor of less ripped clothing and more than a decade on Blue Bloods, music listeners can still see New Kids on the Block performing their greatest hits. What's more, the group will play some shows this summer before heading out to sea for the 2023 NKOTB Cruise in mid-October.
Excuse us while we grab a box of tissues ...
As the entertainment and news editorial assistant for Good Housekeeping, Adrianna (she/her) writes about everything TV, movies, music and pop culture. She graduated from Yeshiva University with a B.A. in journalism and a minor in business management. She covers shows like The Rookie, 9-1-1 and Grey's Anatomy, though when she’s not watching the latest show on Netflix, she’s taking martial arts or drinking way too much coffee.
