When you live your life in the limelight and are also an animal lover, your furry family members become famous and develop a fanbase too. This is exactly why it took Donnie Wahlberg so long to open up about the devastating death of his beloved bestie “Lumpy.”
Instead, he wanted to keep the focus of his latest tour as positive as possible. But after so many questions, he’s finally opening up.
While Donnie Wahlberg may be famous for singing and songwriting with New Kids On The Block, he also became well known as “Lumpy’s dad.” After his son Elijah convinced him that he could use some company while he was touring and away from home, Lumpy, the four-legged Frenchie, became his constant companion.
Lumpy never left his side while he traveled and was a common fixture on private planes, in recording studios, and at on-set hangouts. Fans from all over the world fell in love with Lumpy. How could you not? He was such a super cute sidekick and an incredible addition to Donnie’s life.
Night after night, during his latest tour, he was asked by fans about the whereabouts and well-being of loveable Lumpy. But Donnie decided that he would rather keep his meet and greets focused on positive things, and avoided the conversation altogether.
“I did so in order to allow our time together at meet & greet (and at the concerts) to be a time of joy, happiness and love. Three things that we all needed so desperately after the last few years of sadness, heartache and struggle,” said Donnie.
But now, Donnie has divulged the details and opened up to his fans about the passing of his beloved best friend. Francis “Lumpy” Wahlberg passed away at the age of 12, and was laid to rest back in March of this year.
Donnie shared his heartfelt feelings in a post he made on his personal Instagram page. He coupled his words with a compilation of photos and videos showcasing some of the amazing memories he made with his beloved best friend over the many years they spent together.
“As someone who always tries to find gratitude, even in the most heartbreaking of times, this situation is no different for me. So today, despite the many tears shed while writing this, my broken heart is replaced by a thankful heart. A heart filled with gratitude and love for having been blessed with the best friend a guy could ever ask for. I don’t mourn Lumpy today — instead, I celebrate his memory. I invite you to do the same,” wrote Donnie on Instagram.
Donnie shared that this loss has been devastating for his family, especially for himself and his son. Their fun-loving Frenchie was more than just a pet. He became a best friend, who offered comfort and companionship while Donnie was away from his family. Lumpy’s positive, playful presence was felt by everyone who met him and is already missed by many.
