Mark Wahlberg’s Checkered Past: A Look at His Controversial Episodes

Mark Wahlberg, despite his successful career, has not been immune to controversies.

The Boston-born actor has had his fair share of troubling moments over the years.

In his teenage years, Wahlberg faced legal trouble when he and his friends were charged with harassing a group of Black children by throwing rocks and shouting racial slurs at them in June 1986.

Subsequently, a civil lawsuit was filed against the Ted star, which was resolved later that year.

A couple of years later, in 1988, Wahlberg was involved in another disturbing incident where he assaulted two Vietnamese men and made offensive remarks towards them.

The Departed actor pleaded guilty to felony assault and was charged with attempted murder.

Despite claiming that his actions were not racially motivated due to intoxication, his prior civil rights offense led to a contempt of court charge and a brief prison term of 45 days.

Decades after these events, Wahlberg sought a pardon from Massachusetts to clear his record of the teenage transgressions.

In his 2014 pardon application, the Oscar nominee expressed remorse for his actions, acknowledging the harm caused to the victims and emphasizing his commitment to personal growth and better citizenship as an example for his children and others.

The news of Wahlberg's pardon request sparked criticism from an Asian-American activist group and his past victims, who opposed the erasure of his criminal history.

The Fighter actor later admitted regret over pursuing the pardon, citing external pressure and a desire to move on from the past without official acknowledgment.

In 2018, Wahlberg found himself embroiled in another controversy when it was revealed that he received a significantly higher payment compared to his female co-star Michelle Williams during reshoots for the movie “All the Money in the World.”

Following the replacement of Kevin Spacey due to misconduct allegations, Wahlberg earned $1.5 million while Williams was compensated only $1,000.

In response to the public outcry, Wahlberg donated his excess earnings to the Time's Up legal defense fund in Williams' name.

These incidents shed light on some of the most contentious episodes in Mark Wahlberg's career, showcasing a mix of legal issues, financial inequalities, and attempts at redemption.