Mark Wahlberg Claims He's Not Using His Celebrity To Be Pardoned From His 1988 Assault Conviction!

He finally speaks!
It recently surfaced that Mark Wahlberg is trying to be pardoned for an assault conviction he received in 1988.
Since then, there’s been a lot of speculation as to why he’s trying to get it pardoned, and why he thinks it should be pardoned now!
[ Related: Mark Is Trying To Be Pardoned So He Can Shoot Guns! ]
In his application to the parole board, he writes that he has “used the public spotlight to speak openly about the mistakes [he] made as a teenager so that others do not make those same mistakes.”
That being said, it’s easy to see why a lot of people are saying he’s using his position as a celeb to wipe his record clean.
But during the New York premiere of The Gambler on Wednesday, the actor claimed that’s not the case at all!
He explained:

“In no way, shape or form was I trying to use my celebrity or success to say, ├óΓé¼╦£Well, I feel entitled to get this because of the fame and fortune.’ Every day I wake up trying to be the best person I can be. I’ve worked really hard to be a positive influence for kids growing up in communities like mine who don’t really have a chance, and try to provide an opportunity for them to be more successful, and that’s why I’m doing it. And it’s not like the story hasn’t been talked about. I’ve been talking about it for 25 years. You read any piece that’s ever been done on me, it’s really the same old kind of story, and for me to kind of be able to move on from that and move forward and continue to show kids that anything’s possible. I will continue to do that whether the pardon is granted or not.

Sounds to us like Marky Mark really IS on the right track!
[ Related: Wahlberg Lost 60lbs Before Filming Transformers! ]
And while it’s obvious that the pardon is important to him, it’s great to hear that he will continue to do good regardless of the parole board’s decision.
Do YOU think he deserves to be pardoned???