Many people know Kimberly Fey by one label: Donnie Wahlberg’s first wife. That label is accurate, but it is only a small part of her story.
Fey built a career behind the mixing board in the music industry. Later she reinvented herself as a real estate professional. She did both away from the cameras. Her marriage to the New Kids on the Block singer and actor brought her public attention. Her work and her choices since then have kept her private life her own.
This profile covers who she is, how she met Wahlberg, what happened to their marriage, and what she does today.
Quick Biography and Profile Summary
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Kimberly Jean Fey |
| Date of Birth | June 14, 1969 |
| Nationality | American |
| Profession | Sound Engineer and Real Estate Agent |
| Ex-Husband | Donnie Wahlberg |
| Children | Two sons: Xavier Alexander Wahlberg and Elijah Hendrix Wahlberg |
| Marriage | August 20, 1999 (divorce filed August 2008) |
| Known For | Music engineering; first wife of Donnie Wahlberg |
Early Life and Music Career
Fey was born on June 14, 1969, in the United States. Few details about her childhood and family are public, and she has never courted publicity. That silence says something about her. She chose a technical profession over a performing one.
She trained as a sound engineer, a role that demands a trained ear and patience. Engineers shape how a song sounds, and they rarely get credit from the audience. Reports say she began working professionally in 1991, at about age 22.
Her early work placed her inside the music scene of the early 1990s. She worked with Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch, the group fronted by Mark Wahlberg. That job led to her meeting Mark’s older brother, Donnie Wahlberg. At the time, Donnie was one of the most recognizable faces in pop music as a member of New Kids on the Block.
The connection was professional first. She was in the studio to do a job, and the relationship grew from there. That background matters. Fey was a working engineer when she met Wahlberg, not a fan who stepped into his world.
Marriage and Family with Donnie Wahlberg
Many fans know Donnie Wahlberg’s first wife Kim Fey only through red-carpet photos from the late 1990s and early 2000s. Her life with him was far broader than those images suggest.
The couple began dating in the early 1990s. Their relationship moved quickly. On March 4, 1993, they welcomed their first child, Xavier Alexander Wahlberg. They were not married yet, and they stayed together for years before making it official.
They married on August 20, 1999, in a private ceremony. A few outlets list a different day in August 1999, but August 20 is the date most often cited. Their wedding came the same year Donnie appeared in The Sixth Sense, when his acting career was taking off.
In 2001, they welcomed their second son, Elijah Hendrix Wahlberg.
The Kimberly Fey children have grown up largely out of the spotlight. Their parents never turned them into media subjects. Donnie has spoken publicly about his sons over the years. Fey has not. Reports describe her as a hands-on parent who focused on keeping their family life stable during her ex-husband’s rise in television.
The Divorce and Moving On
The marriage lasted about nine years. In August 2008, the couple filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences. Several reports say both parties filed on the same day. That detail suggests a joint decision rather than a bitter fight.
The split stayed out of the tabloids more than most celebrity divorces do. The case was settled out of court. Reports place the final resolution around 2010. Neither Fey nor Wahlberg has publicly discussed the reasons in detail. Tabloid speculation surfaced at the time, but neither has confirmed it. This article does not repeat rumors.
What is clear is how they handled the aftermath. They chose to stay on good terms for the sake of their sons. Reports describe a stable co-parenting arrangement with joint custody. Wahlberg later married Jenny McCarthy in 2014. Fey kept her focus on her children and her career.
That choice deserves credit. Many high-profile splits become public battles. This one did not.
Where Is Kimberly Fey Today?
Search results for her name sometimes drift into unrelated or confusing material, including obituary pages for other people with similar names. Those pages have nothing to do with Donnie Wahlberg’s former wife. Nothing credible suggests she is anything but alive and well. Available reports describe her as living a private, working life away from Hollywood.
Her second career is real estate. Public profiles and press coverage describe Kimberly Fey as a real estate agent in Southern California. Reports have named RE/MAX ONE as her brokerage. Some coverage also links her to work in Illinois. She is said to promote her listings and projects through professional social media accounts. She reportedly uses the name Kim Fey Wahlberg for some business purposes.
The move makes sense. Sound engineering and real estate look different, but both reward similar habits. You need patience, attention to detail, and the ability to listen to what clients want. She traded the studio for the showing, and by all accounts she has done it quietly and well.
Her sons are now adults. She has not pursued the celebrity lifestyle her former marriage could have offered. She has kept her privacy and built a professional identity independent of her ex-husband’s fame.
Why Her Story Matters
Fey’s story is a useful counterpoint to the usual “ex-wife of a star” narrative. She was a skilled professional before she met Wahlberg. She stayed one throughout the marriage and after it. She raised two sons through a very public era in their father’s career, and she ended a long marriage without a public feud.