There’s only one McDreamy. Although Patrick Dempsey’s character was tragically killed off, Derek and Meredith’s relationship will remain close to our hearts. But in the actor’s personal life, who is Patrick Dempsey’s wife? Keep reading to learn more.
Grey’s Anatomy is ABC’s hit medical drama, based in Seattle, Washington, that focuses on the lives of surgical interns, residents and attendings at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital (previously known as Seattle Grace Hospital and Seattle Grace Mercy West). Dempsey portrayed Dr. Derek Shepherd, a renowned neurosurgeon and the former Head of Neurosurgery and board director at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital, from Seasons 1 to 11.
Dempsey abruptly left the show in April 2015 and his beloved character was subsequently killed off. According to Lynette Rice’s book, How to Save a Life: The Inside Story of Grey’s Anatomy, the former executive producer of Grey’s alleged that leading up to his exit, Dempsey created an unfavorable work environment. “There were HR issues,” she wrote in the book. “It wasn’t sexual in any way. (Dempsey) sort of was terrorizing the set. Some cast members had all sorts of PTSD with him. He had this hold on the set where he knew he could stop production and scare people.”
Rice also said that Dempsey threw “diva-like fits” and had “tension” between him and his co-star Ellen Pompeo (Meredith Grey). Meanwhile, Dempsey told EW in April 2015 that his character was killed off “very quickly” and “there wasn’t a lot of discussion.” “It was just a natural progression,” he told the magazine. “And the way everything was unfolding in a very organic way, it was like, okay! This was obviously the right time. And then it was a question of…That’s a question for Shonda.”
After he left Grey’s, Dempsey decided that he would spend more time with his family. Who is Patrick Dempsey’s wife and kids? We have the answer below.
Who is Patrick Dempsey’s wife?
Who is Patrick Dempsey’s wife? Dempsey married Jillian Fink in 1999. Jillian is a celebrated makeup artist and hair stylist, entrepreneur and animal activist. She has her own organic makeup line, Jillian Dempsey, and has worked with top Hollywood talents like Kristen Stewart, Jennifer Lawrence and Kate Winslet, according to her bio page.
The couple met in 1994 when Patrick was a client at Jillian’s hair salon. Jillian recalled seeing Patrick’s name in her appointment book for the first time. (At the time, Dempsey was considered a “heartthrob” after appearing in Can’t Buy Me Love and Lover Boy.) “I was shocked,” Fink told People in 2002. “But at the same time, I was happy because he was so cute.” At the time, both parties were in relationships – and after three years of haircuts, flirting and banter – they became a couple. They tied the knot in May 1999 at his family’s farmhouse. A few years later, they welcomed their daughter, Tallula in 2022, and twin sons, Sullivan and Darby, in 2007.
On Monday, July 31, Patrick celebrated his 25th wedding anniversary. He honored the milestone by sharing a selfie of him and Jillian on a scene walk together. “24 years !! What an amazing path we have been on ! love you ! Happy anniversary,” the former Grey’s actor penned with the post.
Unfortunately, the couple briefly broke up in 2015 after 15 years together (Jillian even filed for divorce at the time). Behind the scenes, Dempsey told People that the couple were working on their relationship. “Our marriage was not something I was prepared to let go of,” he told the site in September 2016. “I didn’t feel like we had done all the work. And we both wanted to do that work. That’s where it started.”
He also said that the potential end of his marriage was “scary.” “It’s always destabilizing when you’re potentially breaking up a family or you have a big section of your life that’s ending,” he added. The couple were able to reconcile their differences and work on their relationship thanks to “very important” couples counseling. “Everybody has their own path… Jill and I decided it was time to work on our issues and improve. We wanted to be role models for our kids like, okay, if you have differences, you can work them out.”