Mark Wahlberg had strict regulations on his daughter, Ella Rae Wahlberg's dating life. He used to keep himself in the loop, as he knew his daughter would eventually start dating boys.

But now, he seems to have a bit less to worry about. He approves of Ella's current boyfriend.

He's apparently even gym buddies with the guy.

Mark Wahlberg Likes Daughter's Boyfriend

Wahlberg took to Instagram on January 7, 2021, to post a gym video with Ella's boyfriend, James. He expressed his happiness at the situation in the post's caption.

"Ella is a lucky girl and I'm a lucky dad!" wrote Wahlberg. Then he praised him, saying, "He is a great young man."

"I used to work out to keep the boys away from my girls, and now I'm working out with the boyfriend," the actor said in the video. "Self-made."

He and James were wearing matching orange Municipal t-shirts while working out. James blushed a little when Wahlberg put his arms on him on video.

His daughter appreciated her dad's gesture. In the comment section, she showed her love, writing, "Luv u dad," followed by a heart emoji.

Many people found the gesture great. TV host Mario Lopez chimed in, saying, "Heyyy keep 'em close. Smart." Some, however, found humor in the situation. For example, a guy joked about James's condition.

"Imagine having a girlfriend and her dad wakes you up for a 4am workout," said the person.

Wahlberg's wife, Rhea Durham, apparently found the post funny, too. She did not write any words but just posted five cry-laughing emojis in the comment section.

More recently, Wahlberg also wished his daughter and her boyfriend on their one-year anniversary.

Mark Wahlberg's daughter Ella Rae Wahlberg with her boyfriend James Stuart.

Mark Wahlberg's daughter Ella Rae Wahlberg with her boyfriend James Stuart. (Photo: Mark Wahlberg/Instagram)

"Happy 1 year anniversary Ella and James," he wrote on the post on January 24. The picture showed the two love birds hugging one another.

"I'm so happy for you guys!" he continued, expressed how proud he was of her, and ended the post with a "love you guys."

The picture he posted was from the young couple's six-month date. Both Ella and James had posted the same image on their respective Instagram accounts.

For their first anniversary, Ella expressed her desire to celebrate the day — January 23 — with him for "forever." James, on the other hand, posted a simple picture of them kissing while swimming in the ocean.

Mark Wahlberg's Approach to Daughter's Dating Life

Wahlberg has been quite open about how he deals with his children's dating life. He shares four kids — Ella, Grace Margaret, Brendan Joseph, and Michael — with his wife.

In 2017, the Uncharted actor confessed he did not love the idea of Ella dating. However, he knew that her getting into relationships was just a part of her growing up and accepted it.

He also revealed he wanted to know the details of the relationship. "I wanna know who she's gonna be hanging out with, what his parents are like, all that stuff," he said on Live With Kelly and Ryan at the time.