EXCLUSIVE: Inside Donny Osmond's Once in a Lifetime Love Story and How He Still 'Insists' Debbie Is His 'One and Only' — As Couple Celebrates 48th Anniversary
Donny married Debbie Osmond when he was only 20 years old.
May 7 2026, Published 6:10 p.m. ET
Donny Osmond met his wife, Debbie, when they were teenagers and his life changed forever.
As their 48th wedding anniversary approaches on Friday, May 8, RadarOnline.com exclusively revisits their once in a lifetime love story and how The Osmonds singer, 68, still believes she's the only woman for him.
Dating the Wrong Brother
Debbie Osmond met Donny through his brother Jay.
Donny and Debbie's budding romance had an unexpected start. They first met in high school when she was a cheerleader – but there was one big problem, she was dating his brother, Jay, at the time.
"Donny thought she was amazing, and one night at an Elton John concert he attended with Deb and Jay, he looked over at her and thought, ‘That’s the girl I’m going to marry,'" an insider said.
The first time he called her to ask her out on a date – presumably when she was no longer with Jay, as they only dated briefly – she hung up on him, according to the insider, but a "couple years later," Debbie decided to give him a chance.
Career Worries
Donny Osmond's father, George, did not want him to marry young.
Donny was so head over heels for Debbie that it "didn’t take long for him to pop the question" once they began officially dating.
However, this time, another family member stood in the way of their love. Donny's father, George, didn't approve of him getting married so young and worried that he'd be ruining his career as a pop star.
The former teen idol has already begun to establish himself as a solo artist in the early 1970s.
Donny and Debbie Say 'I Do'
Donny Osmond got married on May 8, 1978.
But the "Puppy Love" singer didn't listen. Donny and Debbie tied the knot on May 8, 1978, when he was 20 and she was 19.
Due to their Mormon faith, they married in the Salt Lake Temple in Salt Lake City, and according to the source, they were not intimate until after their vows.
"After all these years, Donny insists Debbie is still his one and only," a friend revealed. "And he doesn’t just mean the one and only woman for him, he means he’s never even had sex with anyone but her."
Donny and Debbie Welcome Kids...and Grandkids
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Donny and Debbie Osmond have 5 children.
Donny and Debbie went on to welcome five sons together – Don, Jeremy, Brandon, Chris and Josh. Their children are all adults now, and have even had kids of their own.
On June 19, 2025, Donny confirmed their list of grandkids continues to grow.
"16 grandchildren and counting!" he wrote on Facebook.
As he marked their anniversary last year, Donny called marrying Debbie "the best decision" of his life as they celebrated 47 years since their wedding.
In the carousel of snapshots of their lives, he not only called her his "traveling partner," his "teenage crush" and "beautiful bride" as he shared throwback photos from their wedding, but he also dubbed her the "cutest grandma ever."
