Jenna Bush Hager was left stunned on Today With Hoda & Jenna after learning an interesting fact about Blue Bloods star Donnie Wahlberg.
Jenna, 43, and cohost Hoda Kotb began talking about Blue Bloods and how Donnie, 55, recently shared that he took some props from the set of the show after wrapping filming on the final season.
“I took my two Danny Reagan costumes — my blue suit and my dress blues,” the New Kids on the Block singer told People in an interview published on November 30. “I put them on mannequins and put them in a Wahlburgers.”
“I really had no intention of taking anything from the set until I learned that that table and chairs was just sitting in a warehouse somewhere,” he told the outlet.
Hoda, 60, told the former first daughter that Donnie took the Reagan family dinner table, which was a very significant prop on Blue Bloods.
“He took the Reagan family dinner table,” Hoda said. “He took the whole table. He said he’s going to put it in one of his restaurants. He has restaurants called Wahlburgers.”
But Jenna was very visibly surprised at the statement, replying, “No he does not.”
“Donnie Wahlberg has a restaurant called the Wahlburgers?” Jenna asked, to which Hoda responded, “Yes he does! His Wahlburger restaurants.”
“Does everybody know?” Jenna asked, to which Hoda said, “I actually did not know. Everybody is nodding but not you, we didn’t know.”
Donnie famously co-owns the Wahlburgers restaurants with brothers Paul and Mark Wahlberg. The siblings founded their first burger joint in 2011, and they have since opened up other locations across the U.S., Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
Donnie has big plans for the table that he took from the Blue Bloods set.
“I’ll set it up where fans can sit at the table and take pictures,” he said. “And then I’m going to raffle it probably for charity for the DEA, the Detectives Endowment Association, for the Widows and Children’s Fund.”
Maybe Jenna will go and visit! Not knowing about the famous family’s restaurant chain hasn’t been the most outlandish admission Jenna has recently made on Today. Ahead of Hoda’s departure from the morning talk show, Jenna compared her quest for a new cohost to dating.
“Here’s the thing, Hoda, you know this, I’m a serial monogamist. I met Henry Hager 20 years ago and that was it, right, I haven’t dated in 20 years,” the Sisters First author said during a November 14 episode of Today. “I met Hoda, I fell so madly in love with you so quickly and we’ve had these years together, which have been some of the best of my entire life, OK?”
“But here’s the thing, it’s time for me to get out there guys! Y’all know the new trend roster dating? That’s what I’m going to be doing,” she added. “I’m single, not at home, but in this work life I am single and I am ready to mingle!”
The show will be renamed Today With Jenna & Friends after Hoda officially marks her final episode on January 10. Jenna will welcome a rotating panel of cohosts on the program until finding her permanent cohost to officially replace Hoda.
“So this show is going to be all about friendship,” she continued. “We have so many amazing guests and friends and family that are part of this DNA of this show, and they are going to be coming along for the ride, so we cannot wait.”
