Mark Wahlberg has been the face of gritty dramas and intense action-packed blockbusters in Hollywood. He sported his ink as armor, a canvas of tough guy tattoos wrapping his biceps, back, neck, and even ankle: Bob Marley's face, rosaries, initials, cartoon characters. These artful etchings were badges of brawn and style to his followers, and to Hollywood, they signaled hard-core action movies, often necessitating endless on-set makeup cover‑ups. Off camera, however, one of his tattoos concealed a deeper metamorphosis, a tribute one would not easily see coming.

For Wahlberg, each disappearing ink mapped a path out of his youth and memories. And yet, in a painful tattoo-removal process, one tiny spot remained on his hand, its significance melting hearts ceaselessly.

After enduring a dreadful process of removal, which required over 5 to 7 excruciating sessions to burn away his body art, a teeny tattoo resisted the laser battalion on the canvas of Mark Wahlberg's body. His ring finger has the name of his wife, "Rhea," etched on it, revealed Wahlberg as he pulled the curtain in an installment of Jimmy Kimmel Live! hosted by guest-host Jeff Goldblum. Out of eight or nine, Wahlberg's sole remaining tattoo is his wife's name, which he had gotten as a Valentine's Day tribute.

Elaborating on the practical motivation behind it, Wahlberg said that he could always carry his wife's name when he did not have his wedding ring on. He also fondly recalled her elated reaction to the sweet tribute. Wahlberg went through a grueling tattoo removal process before filming The Fighter. However, owing to the significant pain it causes, his process took over five years to complete. Wahlberg described it as "hot bacon grease getting flicked on you over and over again." Tolerating it all was Wahlberg's way of responsible parenting and setting an example for his children to dissuade them.

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If subjecting himself to all that suffering meant successful parenting, Wahlberg did not shy away. Whether tattooing his wife's name or getting them removed for his children's sake, for Wahlberg, family always came first.

Mark Wahlberg, then a former rapper and newly turned actor, met model Rhea Durham in 2001 at a press junket in New York City, and sparks flew. The couple went on their first date at a church service at St. Patrick's Cathedral. Eight years later, the pair married each other in a private Catholic ceremony in Beverly Hills in August 2009. The pair welcomed their first child, Ella Rae, in 2003, followed by a son, Michael,  in 2006. By 2010, their family had expanded with two more children, Grace and Brendan.

Over the years, Wahlberg offered glimpses of romantic moments with his wife, from participating in couples' challenges on Instagram to sharing PDA-filled vacation photos, and upsetting his wife by displaying his jacked shirtless self on Instagram. On several occasions, Wahlberg openly acknowledged Rhea Durham as the anchor in his life, often referring to her as the reason he turned out to be a better man. Their life together with Valentine's Day posts and tattooed tributes is a testament to a love that has grown old without growing cold, in ink and in their hearts. 

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What do you think about Mark Wahlberg's sweet tattoo tribute to his wife? Tell us in the comments below.