Who Is Ellen Pompeo's Husband? All About Chris Ivery

Ellen Pompeo and music producer Chris Ivery have been married since 2007

Ellen Pompeo's husband, Chris Ivery, knew her long before she played Dr. Meredith Grey on Grey's Anatomy.

After meeting in 2003, the couple married in 2007 and later welcomed three children.

"This man has been my rock ... my soulmate," Pompeo wrote on Instagram in 2018. That same year, she told PEOPLE that the success of her marriage was partly due to Ivery's understanding nature.

"My husband is not at all intimidated by my drive or my bossiness," she said.

So who is Ellen Pompeo's husband? Here's everything to know about Chris Ivery and his relationship with the actress.

He worked in the music industry for nearly 30 years

Ivery spent many years working as a record producer. While little is known about his work in the music industry, he is credited as a writer on Rihanna's song "Cheers (Drink to That)."

He's an executive at a famous athleisure brand

In addition to his work in the music industry, Ivery is also the chief executive for lifestyle marketing at Sergio Tacchini, a heritage athletics brand founded in 1966 by the Italian tennis champion, according to his LinkedIn.

He frequently posts about the brand — which counts Justin Bieber as one of its celebrity fans — on Instagram.

His involvement in the apparel world also spills into his personal life. Pompeo and Ivery have been spotted sitting front row at a number of runway shows over the years. In September 2023, they supported Michael Kors at his Spring/Summer 2024 fashion show in Brooklyn, New York.

He met Pompeo in 2003

As Pompeo told PEOPLE in 2006, she and Ivery met in 2003 in a Los Angeles grocery store. For six months, they were just friends. "Then one night she just looked different to me," he recalled.

As far as Pompeo was concerned, their relationship was written in the stars: they had grown up only a few minutes apart in Boston. "We were six degrees our whole lives, so I feel like we were sort of meant to be," she said.

She expanded on the story during a 2022 appearance on The Drew Barrymore Show, explaining that their meet-cute at that grocery store wasn't "some big romance that happened over crackers and cheese in the aisle."

After their initial encounter, Pompeo said that Ivery tried to call her a few times, but she didn't end up calling him back.

"Then he said, 'You're rude. You won't call me back.' And I said, 'Well because I'm not trying to go on a date with you.' And he said, 'Who’s trying to go on a date with you? I don't even know you,'" she explained.

The actress jokingly added, "So we had a fight first, and ... that's kind of always the way to my heart is like piss me off and I'm all yours."

He and Pompeo married in 2007 in an ultra-private ceremony

Ivery proposed to Pompeo in 2006 on her 37th birthday after three years of dating.

"She was surprised and thrilled," her rep told PEOPLE at the time. Pompeo's engagement ring was a 3.5-carat, emerald-cut diamond in a platinum setting by the jewelry designer Tacori.

The pair tied the knot a year later in a quiet ceremony at City Hall in Lower Manhattan. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg served as a witness.

"She just didn't want a big thing," Pompeo's father told PEOPLE. The actress had previously expressed her desire to have a small affair, telling PEOPLE after her engagement, "There will be no 'big' anything.' It's going to be very small."

He and Pompeo have three children

Ivery and Pompeo have three children: Stella Luna, born in 2009, Sienna May, born in 2014, and Eli Christopher, born in 2016.

After the birth of their third child in 2016, Pompeo wrote on Instagram, "Chris Ivery just fell a notch ... I've got a new guy."

The actress previously discussed raising her two daughters with PEOPLE in 2016, saying that it's important for her girls to have role models to look up to and that she prioritizes pointing out the accomplishments of Black women to them.

"My daughters are Black so it's very important to me that they see a lot of images of beautiful, powerful, strong Black women," she said.

"Every time there is a Black woman on a magazine cover, whether it is Kerry Washington or whoever it is, I make sure that magazine is in my house and on my table. For me, that's super important."

In July 2022, Pompeo, Ivery and their children made a rare public appearance at the Dolce & Gabbana Alta Moda Women's Show in Italy. She posted several photos of the family decked out in Dolce & Gabbana gear on Instagram, including one sweet snap of Ivery and Eli posing on a Vespa.

Related: Ellen Pompeo's 3 Kids: All About Stella, Sienna and Eli

He's supportive of Pompeo's career

As Pompeo's career has grown, Ivery has had to shift his mindset about her work, like her intimate scenes on Grey's Anatomy.

"I remember in the beginning it was really hard for him," she said on the Ladies First with Laura Brown podcast in 2021. "He was like, 'This is not what I signed up for. You go to work and make out with that. I like Patrick [Dempsey] and everything, he's a good dude, but like really?' "

Despite Ivery's early hesitation, the actress told PEOPLE in 2018 that her husband is encouraging of everything she does.

"I never thought I'd be at the height of my career at 48 years old. I'm at the top of my game, with no end in sight," said Pompeo, adding that when it comes to being successful, "it's really important for men to be on board."

She also noted that she tends to get a bit commanding with Ivery when she's juggling many things, but that her husband is "good about letting me know when I'm talking to him like an employee."

"Occasionally, I get told 'I don't work for you, don't speak to me like that,' which is okay," she said. "I need to hear it if I'm not coming correct."

He and Pompeo know how to prioritize their relationship

Ivery and Pompeo know how to keep their love alive. For one thing, they spend plenty of time together on date nights — even if they're just relaxing at home.

"We go out to dinner sometimes, but date nights really kind of happen inside at home. And actually, we both go to bed pretty early, so we do a lot of lunch dates, too," Pompeo told PEOPLE in 2016.

Ivery also keeps the spark alive by making sure his wife feels appreciated. "He tells me constantly how I have the body of a 20-year-old. He is the best," the actress said.

"I don't really like a lot of makeup, and my husband doesn't really like a lot of makeup," she added, noting that Ivery "is amazing."

What's more, he has learned the benefit of keeping his sense of humor in the face of the media onslaught. As he once joked to PEOPLE, "I'm the real McDreamy!"

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.