We all fell in love with Patrick Dempsey during his 11 seasons as Dr. Derek Shepherd a.k.a. McDreamy on Grey's Anatomy. But, and we hate to break it to you Grey's fans, your dreams of Meredith and McDreamy getting together IRL aren't going to come true: The 53-year-old actor has been married to celebrity makeup artist Jillian Fink for nearly 20 years and they are also parents to Tallula, Sullivan, and Darby. While their marriage hasn't always been easy, their family of five is now as strong and happy as ever.
July 1999: Jillian and Patrick Dempsey get married.
Shortly after his divorce from Rochelle "Rocky" Parker in 1994, Patrick met celebrity hairstylist and makeup artist Jillian Fink. They met at a hair salon where Patrick scheduled a quick trim: "I was shocked [when he came in for an appointment] but at the same time, I was happy because he was so cute," Jillian recalled to People. After three years of haircuts, he caught wind that she was single and finally asked her out. Things moved rather quickly: Three months after their first date, the couple moved in together. They eventually got married in July 31, 1999 at his family's farmhouse in Maine.
Since getting married, both of their careers have taken off. Patrick, of course, stole our hearts as McDreamy. Jillian, on the other hand, has become one of the most popular makeup artists and hair stylists to the stars including Julia Roberts, Bradley Cooper, and yes, even her husband. "We try not to get into each other’s work too much," the actor told People. "My big thing is to make sure the lipsticks taste good when you kiss. And, well, so far they taste pretty darn good." (He's talking about his wife's luxury line of lip and cheek tints. She also has lid tints, kohl eyeliner , and a gold sculpting bar in her collection.)
February 2002: Their first child is born.
On February 20, 2002, the couple welcomed daughter Tallula Fyfe. She (along with her younger brothers) opened his eyes to the joys of fatherhood: “It’s fascinating and fun to come up with answers to their questions ... and the questions are getting harder!” When it comes to cooking, however, Tullala has all the answers. " She loves cooking. She's incredibly creative," Patrick gushed to People. Now, the 17-year-old is considering colleges in Washington D.C. and Patrick told Extra that he's "very excited" for his daughter.
February 2007: Their twins are born.
And just like that, the Dempsey family grew by two. Sullivan Patrick and Darby Galen were born on February 1, 2007. While the actor admitted that he was initially overwhelmed at the idea of having twin boys, his worries quickly subsided when he met them. "Sullivan will probably read this article in 20 years and say, ‘What did you say about me?’ He’s sort of the grumpy old man. Darby is very much the peaceful, quiet little Buddha," he told People in 2007. Even when they were just a few days old, Patrick mentioned how he couldn't wait to give the boys a spin on the race track — and now that they are 12 years old, they join their dad as often as they can. "Racing is a family sport," he says.
January 2015: Jillian filed for divorce.
After 16 years of marriage, Jillian filed for divorce citing irreconcilable differences. According to TMZ, she was seeking joint custody of their three children along with spousal and child support. The couple released the following statement: "It is with careful consideration and mutual respect that we have decided to end our marriage. Our primary concern remains the wellbeing of our children, and we ask with profound gratitude that you respect our family's privacy at this very sensitive time."
November 2016: The couple called off their divorce.
Just a few months later, the estranged couple was spotted holding hands, riding bikes, and just being downright adorable in Paris. This led people to believe they were together again — and the actor confirmed the news in May of that year. "You have to work at everything," Patrick told Evening Standard. "And you cannot do everything. Something has to be sacrificed." So, he sacrificed his time on the race track to give more attention toward his marriage and children — and it paid off.
On November 4, 2016, Jillian filed to have the couple's divorce papers dismissed by the courts. Just a few days later, a judge granted the request. "Our marriage was not something I was prepared to let go of,” Patrick told People. “I didn’t feel like we had done all the work. And we both wanted to do that work. That’s where it started." The couple prioritized their marriage by working through their differences with a counselor: "You can only do one thing at a time and do it well," he says. “I [learned] to prioritize. Our union has to be the priority. I wasn’t prepared to give up on her and she wasn’t either. We both wanted to fight for it." Now, the couple agrees that their marriage is a "new beginning."
