NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS fan and Hollywood star Mark Wahlberg tried to sneak away in the third quarter of Super Bowl 51, leading many fans to wonder if he gave up on his team.

At the time in February, Wahlberg said his son, eight-year-old Brendan, was sick, which is why he needed to get back to his family’s hotel room.

With the Atlanta Falcons leading the Patriots 28-3 in the third quarter, it seemed like the game was over.

Of course, the Patriots came back for a stunning 34-38 overtime win, and nearly one year later, Wahlberg admitted his son was not actually sick.

“He was spitting out F-bombs and going crazy. It was bad,” Wahlberg told Men’s Health.

“He was lying down on the carpet. He was very upset.”

According to Wahlberg, his wife, Rhea wanted to stay and watch the rest of the game, but the 46-year-old was done and left with his son.

When asked if his son learned a lesson in sticking it out to the end with your team, Wahlberg gave a hard no.

“He’s a vicious sore loser,” Wahlberg said of Brendan. ”He wants the ball. He hates when his brother gets it. When he doesn’t get the ball, he goes crazy. He throws rocks.”

So there you have it. Wahlberg was not completely lying when he said he needed to leave because of his son, but now we know it was because of a flat-out temper tantrum.

The42 has just published its first book, Behind The Lines, a collection of some of the year’s best sports stories. Pick up your copy in Eason’s, or order it here today (€10):