Mark Wahlberg’s Daughter Ella Shows Off Subtle Tattoo in Snapshot from College Visit

Mark Wahlberg and Rhea Durham’s eldest daughter, Ella Wahlberg, is growing up fast—and fans recently got a glimpse of her laid-back college life along with a delicate new tattoo.

Ella, born in 2003, is currently a student at Clemson University in South Carolina, where she’s making the most of her college experience as a member of the Alpha Chi Omega sorority. Over the weekend, Rhea shared a series of summer photos on Instagram, including a serene shot of Ella posing by the water at sunset, sipping a Surfside iced tea seltzer. Wearing a butter yellow tank top and printed pink shorts, Ella’s upper forearm revealed a subtle tattoo reading “i love you,” sparking admiration from followers.

This visit to South Carolina was a special moment for Rhea, who just last week shared a selfie from a private plane captioned, “On my way to see my biggest baby.” Alongside photos of Ella, Rhea included candid moments of their family’s summer, like their son Michael enjoying pool time with the family dogs and a sweet picture of his girlfriend Sunni Gaines holding an adorable dachshund. Fans quickly flooded the comments with praise, sharing sentiments like “Beautiful post” and “Absolutely love your beautiful family.”

The transition to college was emotionally charged for the Wahlberg family. When Ella first moved to Clemson in January 2023, Rhea posted a heartfelt, now-deleted message describing the tough goodbye: “On my way home from my first college drop off,” she wrote, admitting, “The emotions are running wild.” Mark Wahlberg later gave a reassuring update to TODAY.com in September 2023, sharing, “She’s just so happy there,” and reflecting on the bittersweet nature of parenting children who grow up and start independent lives.

While Ella is thriving in South Carolina, the rest of the Wahlberg-Durham family has settled in Las Vegas since 2022. Mark has spoken fondly of their new home, addressing misconceptions about the city’s lifestyle during a TODAY interview. “You have Las Vegas, and people think automatically, ‘Oh, the Strip,’” he explained, “But [in] Nevada, there are wonderful communities.” Although he admitted to missing California’s weather, Mark emphasized that the kids are flourishing and that their faith-based community offers great schools and a family-friendly environment.

With Ella carving out her own path at Clemson and the family embracing new chapters in Las Vegas, the Wahlbergs continue to balance life, love, and growth—one cherished snapshot at a time.