For 11 seasons, he was one of the most famous doctors in the world, but in 2015 he left Derek Shepherd behind and broke the hearts of thousands of viewers.
What was not known at the time was that Patrick made this decision out of love. His work occupied a large part of his life, and the only way to recover what he had with his wife was to order his priorities and give more space to his family. They worked on their relationship, overcame a divorce, and, 23 years later, they are still together.
In 1994, Patrick Dempsey made an appointment at a Los Angeles beauty salon called Delux. The stylist and owner of the store, Jillian Fink, thought that was not true, since one of the employees was somewhat of a joker. “All the names she had written down were famous celebrities from the '80s, like Molly Ringwald,” she said.
At that time, the actor was 28 years old and already had a certain popularity, due to his roles in Girlfriend for Rent and Loverboy, among other titles.
When the actor opened the door, the stylist couldn't believe it. “I was surprised to see him and, at the same time, I was happy, because he was very cute,” Jillian admitted years later. The situation was complex since she was in a relationship and he was ending his first marriage to Rocky Parker, an actress 26 years older than him.
Dempsey could have gone that time and never come back, but he continued going for a long time. In his words, it was “three years of occasional haircuts and harmless pranks,” and he felt a certain connection, as many years later, he said that “she was always flirting,” which, according to Jillian, was a lie.
In 1997, a friend of Patrick's (now divorced from her) told him that Jillian had separated from her, and he called her. The first date had romantic comedy overtones: the actor cooked pasta for her at his house. The love was so dizzying and overwhelming that within 3 months they were already living together, and 2 years later, in 1999, they got married.
The event took place on a farm in Maine, which belonged to the actor's family, and was something inti**te. “He cried when he saw her,” said Kristen Mason, sister and partner of her girlfriend.
After their marriage, both of their professional careers took off. Jillian, who had sold her salon Delux in 1998, began manufacturing her own cosmetics. She took an important leap by creating lipstick for the filming of Charlie's Angels in 2000, motivated by her former client and friend Drew Barrymore.
On Patrick's side, who had been going through a downturn for a few years in terms of his work and his popularity, he rebounded in 2000 with the role of detective Mark Kincaid in Scream 3, a film in the popular horror franchise.
With both careers already established, she in the cosmetics industry and he in the film industry, they decided to expand their family. In 2002, Talula, her eldest daughter, arrived, and in 2007 the twins Sullivan and Darby arrived. About fatherhood, Patrick said a few years ago: “I am constantly amazed by his knowledge and observations. It’s fun to find answers to your questions.”
Despite the strength of the bond and how important family can be in a couple, over the years certain problems related to lack of time and overwork appeared, since, in 2004, the actor had started running. in cars professionally and, in parallel, he continued with his career as an actor, being one of the main stars of Grey's Anatomy.
In 2015, Dempsey was in Daytona Beach for a 24-hour race when Jillian filed for divorce. At the time, his oldest daughter was 12 years old, and her twins were about to turn 8. “It is with careful consideration and mutual respect that we have decided to end our marriage,” the couple's official statement said. However, they did not give in to heartbreak.
In the months following the announcement, despite rumors and speculation, the couple underwent therapy to try to repair the bond. “Jill and I decided it was time to work on our problems and get better. We wanted to be models for our children, to show them that it is okay to have differences and that these too can be resolved.” In 2016, they called off the divorce and got back together.
The actor had to make very costly decisions to recover his marriage. In 2015, he left his role as Derek Shepherd on Grey's Anatomy, breaking the hearts of thousands of fans. In addition, he stepped aside as a racer, leaving him alone as the owner of his racing team.
Thanks to therapy, Dempsey understood that his family should be a priority, and that quality time with his wife and children was very important. “I became frustrated with the lack of quality of experiences in my life. “I wanted to go to a deeper level, not just skim the surface.”
