Mark Wahlberg had a rough time before he reached Hollywood stardom and he’s hoping to close another chapter of that rough past. He’s applied to the Massachusetts Board of Pardons to erase a 1988 assault case from his record.
Wahlberg filed the application on Nov. 26, according to NECN, which first reported the news late Thursday.
On April 8, 1988, Wahlberg, then 16, robbed a man outside Dorchester Avenue convenience store, trying to steal two cases of alcohol. He hit the man on the head with a stick, then punched another man as he tried to flee police. He was later charged as an adult in Dorchester District Court and was convicted of assault. He served 45 days in prison. In the petition, Wahlberg admits that he was drunk and under the influence of narcotics during the incident.
Since then, Wahlberg has worked hard to make himself a better person and has been very open about his troubles as a youth in the Boston area.
“I am deeply sorry for the actions that I took on the night of April 8, 1988, as well as for any lasting damage that I may have caused the victims,” the Departed actor wrote. “Since that time, I have dedicated myself to becoming a better person and citizen so that I can be a role model to my children and others.”
The Boston Globe notes that Wahlberg cites his philanthropic efforts, including the Mark Wahlberg Youth Foundation and the Dorchester Boys and Girls Club, as evidence of his efforts to better himself.
“I have not engaged in philanthropic efforts in order to make people forget about my past,” he wrote. “To the contrary, I want people to remember my past so that I can serve as an example of how lives can be turned around and how people can be redeemed.”
Wahlberg was nominated for an Oscar for his supporting role in The Departed and was nominated for Best Picture as a producer on The Fighter. His next film is Paramount’s The Gambler.
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