Mark Wahlberg Receives Moving Christmas Gift on First Holiday Without His Mom Alma

Mark Wahlberg’s late mother Alma Wahlberg will always be close to his heart. As the actor marked his first Christmas since his mother’s death, he received a very special present from a close friend honoring his mother – a pendant necklace with Alma’s picture. Alma passed away in April at the age of 78.

Wahlberg showed off the special present in a Monday, Dec. 20 Instagram post, sharing that his close friend, musician Joyner Lucas, gifted him the pendant. Alongside a gallery of images of himself and Lucas, Wahlberg also shared a video of himself speaking of the significance of the pendant, sharing that “this right here is a special gift,” as he kissed the image of his mother. The actor went on to share a message of thanks to Lucas, whom he praised as “the best rapper in the world right now, the hottest in the game,” and his family. Wahlberg said, “Joyner Lucas. His mom, his dad, and his brothers and his sisters gave me this amazing gift in memory of my mother. I love you guys. Thank you. Happy holidays. God Bless you.”

Lucas, who commented “love you mark” on Wahlberg’s post alongside a heart emoji, shared the gift on his own account, where he posted the same video Wahlberg shared. He captioned the clip, “I love you my brother,” before going on to reveal that the pendant Trax NYC, whom he praised for “the flawless work.” The company responded to the post by commenting that “it was an honor to make this happen.”

This year’s holiday season marked Wahlberg’s first without his mother. Alma, who is also mom to Wahlberg’s brother Donnie Wahlberg, passed away at the age of 78 in April. The actor shared the tragic news at the time a photo of his mother that he captioned, “My angel. Rest in peace.” His brother, Donnie Wahlberg, also confirmed the news, sharing on social media, “I’m so blessed to have been brought into this world by, raised by, taught by and set on my life’s path by, such an amazing woman. My mom Alma’s joy for life, love and people – combined with a pride in her humble beginnings and refusal to forget where she came from – undoubtedly shaped me into the man that I am.”

In the months since his mother’s passing, Wahlberg has shared numerous tributes to her. Shortly after his mother’s death, the actor took to Instagram with a tribute to his mother on what would have been her 79th birthday, writing, “Happy birthday mommy,” alongside a photo of himself and his mother. He again paid tribute to Alma in June, when he shared a throwback photo with his mom captioned, “Miss you,” as he marked his 50th birthday.