You probably know him as McDreamy. The guy with the perfect hair who stole hearts on Grey’s Anatomy for a decade. But behind the scenes of Patrick Dempsey’s high-speed life—full of Hollywood sets and professional race car driving—there is a woman who has been the actual anchor of his world for over 25 years.
Jillian Fink, better known now as Jillian Dempsey, isn't just "Patrick Dempsey’s wife." Honestly, labeling her that way kinda does her a disservice. She’s a powerhouse makeup artist who has painted the faces of everyone from Kristen Stewart to Jennifer Lawrence.
But their marriage? It hasn't always been the fairy tale people assume when they see them on a red carpet. In fact, they almost lost it all.
The Meet-Cute at the Hair Salon
It sounds like a script from a 90s rom-com. In 1994, Patrick walked into a hair salon in Los Angeles called Delux. Jillian was the owner. When she saw "Patrick Dempsey" on her appointment list, she thought it was a prank. Her employees used to write in names of famous people just to mess with her.
He wasn't a prank. He was very real.
They flirted. He came back for trims for three years. Three years! They were both in other relationships at the time, so they kept it friendly and professional. Finally, in 1997, the stars aligned. They started dating and, by July 31, 1999, they were getting hitched at his family’s farmhouse in Maine.
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The Divorce Filing That Shocked Everyone
For fifteen years, they were the "it" couple. They had three kids: a daughter named Talula Fyfe (born in 2002) and twin boys, Darby Galen and Sullivan Patrick (born in 2007). Everything looked perfect from the outside.
Then 2015 happened.
In January of that year, Jillian filed for divorce. She cited "irreconcilable differences." The news hit the tabloids like a freight train. There were rumors about Patrick’s ego, his time away at the race track, and even whispers of "on-set issues" at Grey's.
They released a joint statement about "mutual respect" and "well-being of our children." It felt like the end. Most Hollywood couples would have just signed the papers, divided the millions, and moved on to their next "chapter."
Why they didn't quit
Patrick and Jillian decided to do something rare in Malibu: they went to work. Not on a movie set, but in therapy.
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Patrick eventually admitted to People magazine that he wasn't prepared to let go of the marriage. He realized he had been prioritizing his racing career and his own schedule over the family unit. He literally had to pull back from professional racing to save his home life.
It wasn't an overnight fix. They spent over a year dating each other again. By late 2016, Jillian officially filed to have the divorce papers dismissed. A judge signed off, and the "Dempsey Divorce" was dead.
Who is Jillian Fink? More Than a Spouse
If you think she’s just sitting around waiting for Patrick to finish filming, you haven't been paying attention. Jillian is a massive name in the beauty industry.
- She's a trendsetter: She's the one responsible for that "smudgy, cool-girl" eye look you see on Kristen Stewart.
- The Brand: She launched her own namesake line, Jillian Dempsey, which focuses on clean, vegan, and "finger-friendly" makeup. Basically, stuff you can put on in the car without a brush.
- Innovation: She even invented a "Gold Sculpting Bar" that has a cult following among A-listers for depuffing faces before a shoot.
Patrick is actually her biggest fan. You’ll frequently see him on Instagram wearing her "Spot Stick" concealer or using her skincare tools. It’s a partnership that goes both ways.
Living Life in 2026
As of early 2026, the Dempseys are still going strong. Patrick just celebrated his 60th birthday on January 13, and Jillian didn't miss a beat. She flew to Toronto, where he was filming his latest project, Memory of a Killer, and surprised the heck out of him.
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She even had custom T-shirts made with his face on them that said, "I'm not 60, I'm 18 with 42 years experience." That’s the kind of vibe they have now—playful, supportive, and deeply connected.
Their kids are grown now too. Talula is 23 and doing her own thing in the fashion and culinary world, while the twins, Darby and Sullivan, are 18 and recently finished high school.
What We Can Learn From the Dempseys
The biggest takeaway from the story of Patrick Dempsey and his wife isn't about the glamour. It’s about the "un-glamour." It’s about the messy, hard, "we need to go to counseling" parts of a relationship.
Most people think love is a feeling. The Dempseys proved it’s a choice. Especially when things get "destabilizing," as Patrick once called the prospect of their split.
If you're looking to apply some of their "marriage secrets" to your own life, here is the breakdown of how they stayed together:
- Prioritize the Union: Patrick had to give up something he loved (racing) to save something he loved more (his wife). You can't do everything at 100%.
- Communication over Pride: They both admitted they had work to do. No one played the victim in the long run.
- Support Each Other's Hustle: Patrick isn't threatened by Jillian’s success in the beauty world; he’s her biggest billboard.
- Don't Get Lazy: In interviews, they’ve both said you have to keep dating and keep being intimate to maintain the spark after two decades.
The marriage survived because they both refused to let it die. That's the real McDreamy ending.
To keep up with their latest updates, you can follow Jillian Dempsey on Instagram for her beauty launches or check out Patrick's feed for their occasional, adorable family throwbacks. Watching them navigate their 60s together is likely to be just as interesting as their early years in the 90s.