Patrick Dempsey’s First Wife Was 26 Years Older Than Him
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Patrick Dempsey was recently honored with PEOPLE magazine's prestigious Sexiest Man Alive cover. TBH, the accolade was long overdue—especially if you're familiar with Dempsey's work. He's practically a professional hottie (as well as a very good actor!).
Patrick is probably best known for his role as Derek Shepherd a.k.a. Dr. McDreamy in the medical drama Grey's Anatomy. Although he hasn't been a regular on the series since 2015, his character is forever etched into the show's universe as one of its most attractive characters. Plus, his love story with Ellen Pompeo's Meredith Grey is unforgettable.
More recently, Patrick appears in the horror film, Thanksgiving, but it's lowkey hard to think of him as anything other than a heartthrob. Turns out, he's one IRL, too. His fictional love story with Meredith Grey may be epic, but he's also etched a post-it with his real wife, too. Ahead, here's everything to know about Patrick Dempsey's current and past marriages.
Patrick Dempsey married Rocky Parker when he was 21.
In the mid-1980s, Patrick Dempsey was just starting to break into the acting industry. In 1984, he performed in a play with Rocky Parker, who was 44 and a much more established actress at the time. Rocky played Patrick's aunt in a play, per Mamamia, and they began dating shortly after. They got married when Patrick was 21, and she was 47, per TODAY.
The couple began having problems shortly after they married, per TODAY. The eventually separated in 1991. Later, Rocky died in 2014, according to Hollywood Life.
Patrick met his current wife, Jillian Fink, in 1994.
A few years after his separation from Rocky, Patrick met his current wife, Jillian, when she cut his hair. Apparently, Jillian originally thought the actor's appointment was a joke, as her colleagues would often pen celebrity's names for regular clients. However, she was "pleasantly surprised" when the actor walked in, per PEOPLE.
"I was shocked," she told the publication. "But at the same time, I was happy because he was so cute."
The pair hit it off initially, but they were both seeing other people at the time of their meet-cute. Still their relationship was very flirty early on, PEOPLE reports. "She was always flirting," Patrick told the publication.
Finally, the couple had their first date in 1997. Patrick cooked them dinner at his house, and Jillian reportedly moved in three months later, per PEOPLE.
Patrick and Jillian got married in 1999.
After about two years of dating, the couple tied the knot on July 31, 1999. The ceremony was an intimate gathering at the Dempsey family's property in Maine, according to PEOPLE.
The couple currently have three children—daughter Talula Fyfe, 21, and twin sons Sullivan Patrick and Darby Gallen, 16.
Jillian is a successful makeup artist.
Together, the Dempseys make quite the power couple. Jillian is a very successful hair and makeup artist, and even has her own makeup and skincare lines.
She launched the brand in 2014, per PEOPLE, and had another line, Delux Beauty, that focused on products one could apply without an application tool.
Starting out as her customer way back when, Patrick has obviously been very supportive of his wife's career. He's even modeled for some of her beauty campaigns, per PEOPLE.
Jillian's other celebrity customers include Jennifer Lawrence and Kristen Stewart, per The Cut.
Jillian and Patrick almost separated in 2015.
In 2015, Jillian filed for divorce from her husband, and the pair briefly separated. However, Patrick and Jillian managed to work out their issues privately through couples therapy, PEOPLE reports.
"Jill and I decided it was time to work on our issues and improve," Patrick told PEOPLE. "We wanted to be role models for our kids like, okay, if you have differences, you can work them out."
At the time, Patrick also told the publication that he had to cut back on his car racing hobby, and really dedicate himself to improving his marriage. He even shared his recipe for a healthy marriage with PEOPLE: "You've got to communicate, and stay open and not get lazy...And lots of sex!"
It seems Jillian and Patrick are going pretty strong these days. In July 2023, the couple celebrated 24 years of marriage together. A much happier ending than Derek and Meredith, TBH!
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