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Donny Osmond and His Wife Debbie Are So in Love! Meet His Longtime Spouse
Power couple Donny Osmond and his wife, Debbie Osmond, have lived in marital bliss ever since they exchanged vows more than four decades ago. The longtime lovebirds became experts at maintaining their unbreakable bond even before saying “I do,” and it all started on the day Donny gave his spouse a kiss in 1976.
“Debbie was playing hard to get, and I wanted to plan something really, really special for our first kiss,” the Masked Singer alum once told Utah Valley Magazine of a sweet date he put together for Debbie. “I told her a limo would show up at her house at a certain time, and then we were headed to Sundance for dinner.”
The duo dined at the Sundance Mountain Resort and had a great time together. After they finished their meal, Debbie went on a scavenger hunt to find presents that Donny hid for her. Once she neared the end, her then-boyfriend asked her for a kiss and, of course, Debbie didn’t say no.
“It was fireworks, let me tell you!” the “Puppy Love” singer said, and from that moment on, Donny and his beloved have been inseparable. After saying “I do” in May 1978, they became the proud parents of their five kids: Don Jr. in 1979, Jeremy in 1981, Brandon in 1985, Christopher in 1990 and Joshua in 1998.
Though the former teen idol spent a lot of time traveling around the world while raising their kids, he always made time for his spouse and their sons. On days when Donny was on the road, he credited his wife for holding down the fort.
“I am particularly grateful that my dear Debbie has been able to be home with our children and has been such a powerful and uplifting influence on each one of our family,” the Dancing With the Stars alum once told Third Hour. “Especially in her great support of me in my crazy career that takes me away from the home so much.”
For the most part, however, Donny did an incredible job balancing his work responsibilities and fatherhood. Now that his children are married and creating families of their own, the Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat actor hopes he passed down the best marriage and parenting advice to his boys.
“I think all of my sons know the value of work and staying true and committed to the values Debbie and I hold so dear,” Donny exclusively shared with Closer in June 2020. “They see how committed we are to each other and together, we can overcome the challenges that life throws at us. By working together and not against each other, those problems or challenges can be overcome with hard work, perseverance, love, kindness and patience.”
Scroll through the gallery below to learn more about Donny and Debbie’s amazing marriage!
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Donny’s Brother Jay Used to Date Debbie
When Donny first met Debbie as a teenager, she was “the hot babe cheerleader in town” and was actually dating the entertainer’s older brother Jay Osmond! “It took me three whole years to win her heart and convince her to marry me,” Donny once sweetly shared in a Facebook post.
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Donny’s Father, George, Didn’t Approve of Their Romance
Though it was practically love at first sight for Donny and Debbie, that wasn’t a good enough reason for the two to date — for Donny’s dad, George Osmond, at least. According to the brown-haired hunk, George didn’t want his son to pursue a relationship with Debbie because he thought it would hurt his career.
“While the world knew me as a teen idol, and the Osmonds fame was at its height, I began secretly dating Debbie Glenn. By the time I was 19, I knew I was in love and had to do something right for me. When I told my dad, he said, ‘Well, there goes your career, but this is ushering in your personal life,’” he once revealed to The Guardian.
Even though Donny said his “dad was right about [his] career” after they got married, he has no regrets about vowing his life to his high school sweetheart. “Debbie is an amazing person to be with. If I hadn’t married her, I’d have been a mess,” he proclaimed. “Now I had someone who understood me and with whom I could build a future together.”
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Debbie Once Pursued a Career in Acting
Debbie never tried to fill her husband’s singing shoes, but she has dipped her toes in the acting pond. Per IMDb, she was cast in roles in The Fir Tree and Martha, and she’s also made guest appearances on The Rachel Ray Show and Dancing With the Stars.
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Donny and Debbie Have Five Children and Several Grandchildren
Together, Donny and Debbie have created a large and loving family. Thanks to their four older sons, they are the doting parents of a several grandchildren.
Their eldest, Don Jr., is the dad of four children with his spouse, Jessica, while Jeremy shares three kids with wife Melisa. Brandon, on the other hand, welcomed his four sons with spouse Shelby, and Christopher shares one child with his wife, Alta. Josh and his wife, Summer, previously told Closer that they “definitely want to have kids,” but planned to wait “a couple of years.” They welcomed their first child, son Beckham, in September 2022.
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The Osmonds Are Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
“Our religion teaches that we are bonded together in eternity, so relationships are very respectful,” the “I’ll Make a Man Out of You” singer once said of his and his family’s religious beliefs. “We value kindness and forgiveness. Debbie and I are religious but not over-fanatical, so we have a firm respect for deity, which holds true in our home.”
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Donny and Debbie Love Gardening
When he’s not traveling the country for his career, Donny loves spending time at his Utah home with Debbie, whom he called his “saving grace, “confidante” and “friend.” Speaking with Closer in August 2021, the singer said the two enjoy gardening together in their backyard.
“[One] night, we were out in the garden talking as we were pulling weeds and watering plants. In its own little way, it was a very romantic evening,” he gushed, pointing out why their garden is so special. “I have fruit trees that I planted in my orchard — one for each of my grandchildren. We have [an] apple, peach, nectarine, pear and cherry. When they come over, they like to go check their tree out.”