Jenny McCarthy Shares Insights on the Sleep Challenges She and Donnie Wahlberg Face

NEED TO KNOW

• Jenny McCarthy discusses how she manages the challenges of sleeping with husband Donnie Wahlberg.
• The Masked Singer judge shared a glimpse into her unique sleeping arrangements with the Blue Bloods actor, which features a substantial wall of pillows.
• The Masked Singer season 14 is set to premiere on Wednesday, January 7.

Jenny McCarthy is focused on achieving a good night’s sleep.

During a January 6 appearance on Live with Kelly and Mark, McCarthy discussed her distinctive sleeping arrangements with husband Donnie Wahlberg, particularly how she copes with his snoring.

When host Kelly Ripa prompted McCarthy about what makes the Blue Bloods star “addictive,” she offered effusive praise for her husband of 11 years. “He is the nicest human being you will ever meet,” she said.

Donnie Wahlberg and Jenny McCarthy.

Jenny McCarthy/ABC

“Being married to him treats me like a queen,” McCarthy continued. “He communicates, loves me. He is absolutely what you could call textbook, truly perfect.”

However, she acknowledged, “He’s also human. There are, I wouldn’t call it a problem, but challenges. To be blunt, snoring.”

When Ripa inquired if Wahlberg, 56, “took up snoring in the marriage,” McCarthy confirmed that was the case.

“I built in these insulations that really help me get through the night now. I sleep with these giant headphones on every night,” she explained.

McCarthy even shared a selfie featuring herself in the headphones, teasing that Wahlberg was turned away from her behind a massive wall of pillows.

Jenny McCarthy on ‘Live with Kelly and Mark’.

ABC

“And then I built a Great Wall of China [with pillows],” she added jokingly. “That is like a soundproof room.”

If Wahlberg snores loudly, McCarthy revealed, she can still hear him over the ocean waves sounds she plays through her headphones. “I will tap him and he will roll to the other side,” she said.

“Other than that, it’s perfect,” she concluded. “I will say it works.”

Jenny McCarthy on ‘Live with Kelly and Mark’.

ABC

In a 2025 interview, McCarthy reflected on her first encounter with the New Kids on the Block member, stating, “If I were in my late 40s, I probably would’ve fit into that slot of New Kids fan, but I’m 52, going on 53, so I was too cool for that.”

She recounted seeing Wahlberg on Entertainment Tonight and thinking, “Look at that guy trying to look so cool on his motorcycle!” She admitted, “I never thought one day I would be marrying Donnie.”

According to McCarthy, Wahlberg has consistently surprised her with weekly flowers throughout their decade of marriage. “He’s never missed a Monday in 10 years. He treats me like a queen,” she declared.

“He’s my everything,” McCarthy expressed. “He still gives me butterflies. He’s the love of my life.”

The Masked Singer season 14 is scheduled to premiere on Wednesday, January 7, at 8 p.m. ET with a two-hour episode on FOX.