Patrick Dempsey Fans Were Left Distraught After Shock Exit From "Grey's Anatomy" - But Decision Mended His Marriage

Mar 29, 2023

Patrick Dempsey has been capturing the hearts of people from all over the world for several decades now as a prominent actor. He found early success in his career, starring in plenty of films in the 1980s before going on to land a leading role in the 2002 film "Sweet Home Alabama." Afterward, Dempsey's career took off even more, and he continued to land very successful and notable roles in a handful of films.

One of Dempsey's most iconic roles has been as neurosurgeon Dr. Derek "McDreamy" Shepherd on the long-running medical drama "Grey's Anatomy." Fans fell in love with Dempsey's acting skills and the character he portrayed, leaving many people completely shocked and heartbroken when he was written off the show.

Fortunately, Dempsey continued to stay busy in the acting industry afterward. The actor even ventured into other career paths, showing off more of his incredible abilities. Dempsey enjoys auto racing in his spare time and has even competed in a few events.

When he's not busy working or engaging in his favorite hobbies, Dempsey enjoys spending time with his beautiful family. His first marriage didn't work out and ultimately ended in divorce. However, Dempsey pursued love once again and found it with a woman by the name of Jillian Fink. Although the pair have had their ups and downs, they have learned how to prioritize one another and make their relationship work. Read on to find out more about Dempsey's commitment to making his marriage last.

Over the years, Dempsey has shown off his impressive acting range, starring in a variety of films and television shows. Some of his most memorable film performances include "Sweet Home Alabama," "Enchanted," "Freedom Writers" and "Bridget Jones's Baby." 

However, Dempsey achieved an immense amount of popularity portraying Dr. Derek "McDreamy" Shepherd on the show "Grey's Anatomy" from 2005 to 2015. After a decade of working on the show, Dempsey announced that he was leaving. "It had been long enough. It was time for me to move on with other things and other interests. I probably should have moved on a couple of years earlier," Dempsey told People in 2016.

Following his 2015 departure from the show, Dempsey has been focusing on another passion of his: race car driving. The actor even created his own racing team, named "Dempsey Racing." According to Motorsport.com, Dempsey won the Fuji round of the 2015 World Endurance Championship. However, in 2016, the star announced that he was taking a break from racing. "At this point in my life… I need to take a step back and focus on both my family and my acting career," Dempsey explained.

This revelation came to Dempsey after he and his wife were able to put aside their differences following a potential divorce. Dempsey's wife Fink specializes in beauty and has her own line of makeup, skin and hair products. The two have been married since July 31, 1999. However, in January 2015, Fink filed for divorce, according to E! News. Dempsey left "Grey's Anatomy" a few months later and put in the work to show he was dedicated to making their marriage last. 

Dempsey told PEOPLE, "Our marriage was not something I was prepared to let go of. I didn't feel like we had done all the work. And we both wanted to do that work." He expressed how "scary" the thought of losing his relationship was. "It's always destabilizing when you're potentially breaking up a family or you have a big section of your life that's ending," he said.

Together, Dempsey and Fink took the time to understand each other better and began going to couple's counseling sessions, according to E! News. Dempsey said that it gave them a "new beginning."

Fortunately, the pair were able to reconcile in late 2016, and the divorce was called off. Dempsey and Fink have been able to stay strong since their reconciliation and have even shared their love for each other online for the world to see. Fink occasionally posts photos and videos of her husband and their three children on her Instagram account, showing off the beautiful Dempsey family.

Dempsey has also been sure to share some of his favorite moments with his wife online, too. On July 31, 2018, he took to Instagram and uploaded a photo of himself and Fink in front of a gazebo that held a lot of memories for the couple. The caption read: "This spot 19 years ago, today!"

Nowadays, Dempsey and Fink put in a little extra time and effort to really make their marriage the best it can be. Speaking with Entertainment Tonight, Dempsey said, "We are growing together as a couple, individually, and as a family. The older you get, the more you realize how little time you have, and (how) you want to make the most of it."

For Dempsey, saving his marriage that was on the brink of divorce felt like a “new beginning,” he told People and conceded that you have to work hard to keep love alive.

“You can only do one thing at a time and do it well. 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,” he said.

Going by his Instagram, Dempsey has indeed made Fink his No. 1 priority, with numerous posts declaring his love and appreciation for her. On Valentine’s Day 2022, he shared a romantic snap of them kissing in an Italian palazzo, and in July of that same year, he posted a tribute to their union on their wedding anniversary. “Happy anniversary to my love of 23 years , a pic of our first trip to Maine together ! I love you ❤️😘” the caption read. 

On Feb. 4, 2023, Dempsey shared an up-close photo of his wife making a cute face. The caption read:

“Wishing my amazing, beautiful, talented, crazy funny wife happy birthday. This was the expression when she started to count the candles on her cake catching her in all her glory – happy birthday! You’re like a fine wine, you only get better with age. Have a great birthday. Love you always.”

It’s clear Dempsey has no regrets about walking away from a hit TV show or making major changes in his life to heal the divide between him and his wife. In the same interview with People, he shared some advice on how to get through such hard times and said:

“You’ve got to keep at it. You’ve got to communicate, and stay open and not get lazy. And not give up.”

What do you think about all of the work Patrick Dempsey and his wife have done to make their marriage last? Let us know, and be sure to pass this along to your loved ones.