He may play one of New York City’s fiercest detectives on Blue Bloods, but what happened to Donnie Wahlberg rivals some of the most dangerous cases on the series he’s called home for the past decade.

Wahlberg plays Detective Danny Reagan on Blue Bloods, NBC’s procedural drama following the Reagan family, an Irish Catholic family in New York City with a history of work in law enforcement. The series also stars Tom Selleck as Danny’s father Commissioner Frank Reagan; Bridget Moynahan as Danny’s sister Assistant District Attorney Erin Reagan; Will Estes as Danny’s brother Sergeant Jamie Resgan; and Len Cariou as Danny’s grandfather Henry Reagan.

“I’m just incredibly grateful, you know?” Wahlberg told Entertainment Tonight in 2023 about Blue Bloods’ decade-long run on television. “It’s very unbelievable to be doing so many things that I love to do. I’ve been in my band for almost 40 years, 30-something years, and I’ve been doing this show for 13 years and I’m so grateful for it.”

While Wahlberg is no stranger to danger on the streets of New York City on Blue Bloods, he found himself in his own life-or-death situation recently while presumably returning to New York City to film the series. Read on for what happened to Donnie Wahlberg and why the Blue Bloods star is glad to be “safe and sound” after an unexpected emergency.

What happened to Donnie Wahlberg?

What happened to Donnie Wahlberg? The Blue Bloods star revealed in a series of Instagram Stories in December that a plane he was on had to make an emergency landing due to unsafe weather conditions. “That was not good, but I’m safe and sound, thanks to CJ and Matthew. We made it. Whew! It wasn’t fun, but these guys are awesome,” he said in a video on his Instagram Story outside of the plane with the jet’s pilots.

He captioned the post, “The weather was brutal, and we had to land in White Plains after a failed attempt in New Jersey, but we made it — SAFELY!” He hashtagged the post “#safeandsoundandontheground.” In another post, he wrote, #Thankful. All will be ok — come what may.” He accompanied the post with prayer hands emoji, a red heart emoji, and a shooting star emoji.

Wahlberg lives in St. Charles, Illinois, with his wife, Jenny McCarthy. However, Blue Bloods films in New York City, which may be why Wahlberg was flying into New Jersey.

Wahlberg confirmed he was back on the set of Blue Bloods Season 14 with an Instagram video in November of him in costume as his character, Detective Danny Reagan. “I’m back, baby. It’s go time!” he wrote on the video. He also captioned the post, “Thank you for your patience. It’s about that time again. Can’t wait to be back with the most amazing cast & crew on TV! #BlueBloods Season 14, here we come. ❤️💙🎬🎥 #thankful #Brooklyn Let’s Go!”

Wahlberg also shared another Instagram video of him and his co-star Marisa Ramirez, who plays Detective Maria Baez, on the set of Blue Bloods in November. “Happy Monday! Reagan & Baez are back on the set! Let’s go! #MondayMotivation #BlueBloods #Happy #Monday,” he captioned the post, which featured a video of him and Baez behind the scenes with the words: “We’re back.”

CBS announced in November that Blue Bloods Season 14 would be the final season of the series. The season is also set to air in two parts, with the first 10 episodes premiering on February 16, 2024 and the last eight episodes debuting in fall 2024.

“For the past 13 years it has been an honor and a privilege to work on a show that not only celebrates the men and women who protect and serve in New York City, but also displayed the importance of family,” Tom Selleck, who plays Commissioner Frank Reagan, said in a statement at the time. “Working alongside these incredible actors, writers, producers, directors and crew has been a dream come true and I’m grateful to have been a part of this extraordinary group for over 275 episodes. Thank you to CBS Studios and CBS Network for their steadfast support and we offer heartfelt gratitude to the fans who gathered with us for dinner every Friday night.”

In a joint statement, Amy Reisenbach, president of CBS Entertainment, and David Stapf, president of CBS Studios, claimed that Blue Bloods would “forever be a beloved part of CBS’ legacy.” The statement continued, “It ruled Friday nights with unprecedented dominance since its premiere and established itself as a pillar of our winning lineup with an exceptionally devoted fan base.” The duo also thanked the cast and crew “who America embraced as family and watched as welcomed guests at the Reagan dinner table.”