As Patrick Dempsey turns 57, a look into 'Grey's Anatomy' star's tumultuous marriage with Jillian Fink
MALIBU, CALIFORNIA: Patrick Dempsey celebrated his 57th birthday on January 13. The actor is a self-professed family man and loves having a big family. Dempsey met his current wife, Jillian Fink, in 1994 when the ‘Made of Honor’ actor went to her salon. They tied the knot in 1999 and have three children together.
The former 'Grey's Anatomy' star and Fink became parents with the birth of their daughter Talula Fyfe in 2002. The couple expanded the family when they welcomed their twin sons Sullivan Patrick and Darby Galen a few years later. Patrick insists that having three children has been fantastic for his marriage, and their lives overall.
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In a 2008 interview, Dempsey said he appreciated having a large family. "I love having a big family. I think it's easier, oddly, in some ways, having three children as opposed to one. And it's been great for my relationship with my wife and our life and everything," he said.
Dempsey stated that parenting became simpler after the arrival of the twins, adding that his children really enhanced his life. He said he was delighted to watch them mature but acknowledged it was getting harder to respond to all of their queries. "I'm constantly amazed by their insight and their observations. It's fascinating and fun to come up with answers to their questions. And the questions are getting harder!" he told PEOPLE in 2016.
However, marriage hasn't been a bed of roses for the star. Fink filed for divorce in January 2015 but they eventually reconciled in 2016. The actor admitted that the prospect of his marriage ending had been "scary." Couples therapy helped them save the marriage, and Patrick emphasized how crucial it was to their relationship's restoration. He also noted they hadn't put enough effort into the marriage and that it wasn't something he was willing to give up on, AmoMama reported.
The actor said in an interview in 2016, "It’s always destabilizing when you’re potentially breaking up a family or you have a big section of your life that’s ending. Everybody has their own path. Jill and I decided it was time to work on our issues and improve. We wanted to be role models for our kids like, okay, if you have differences, you can work them out.” Patrick knew his marriage had to be his priority and admitted, "I wasn't prepared to give up on her, and she wasn't either." They both wanted to fight for their marriage, and they kept going, with the star adding: "You've got to communicate, and stay open and not get lazy. And not give up. And lots of sex!"