Donny Osmond opens up about his anxiety: How his wife helped him overcome “the dark years” of his career

. But while Donny Osmond and Debbie – and many of their friends and family – were over the moon about their union, not everyone was happy about it.

Speaking with The Guardian in 2017, Donny Osmond revealed that his father, George, didn’t want his son even to have a relationship with a woman. According to him, it was hurting Donny’s career.

“While the world knew me as a teen idol, and the Osmonds’ fame was at its height, I began secretly dating Debbie Glenn,” Donny explained. “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.’”

“My dad was right about my career after I got married. But Debbie is an amazing person to be with. If I hadn’t married her, I’d have been a mess. Now, I had someone who understood me and with whom I could build a future together.”

Donny Osmond continued, “I learned a lot from my parents about loving your children, treating them with respect, and allowing them a voice. Our religion teaches that we are bonded together in eternity, so relationships are very respectful. 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. I based my parenting style on my dad at first, whom I grew very close to over the years. I think I lightened up as a dad as time went on.”

Donny and Debbie welcomed their first child, son Donald Clark Osmond Jr., in 1979, just a year after getting married. Over the years, they had four more children: Don (born in 1979), Jeremy (1981), Brandon (1985), Christopher (1990), and Joshua (1998).

“She is the glue that holds us all together”
Having a superstar like their father could’ve affected Donny Osmond’s children in a negative way. However, he credited his lovely wife for giving their children a normal childhood.

On Valentine’s Day in 2020, Donny wrote a beautiful tribute to Debbie, calling her “the absolute love of my life.”

“I want to publicly express my gratitude for the irreplaceable influence Debbie continues to be in my life