Patrick Dempsey and Jillian Fink have had a long marriage, but it hasn’t always been the easiest. The couple has several projects on the go between them — from filming movies, doing professional makeup for celebrities, racing cars, and raising 3 children. Not surprisingly, the pressure to manage everything grew challenging, and the couple almost called it quits. Happily though, Patrick and Jillian have since mended their marriage and are back to having a fulfilling family life. Here’s 10 things you might not know about the couple.
10. First Meeting
Jillian and Patrick first met at her hair salon in the 1990s. When the professional hair and makeup artist first saw Patrick’s name in her appointment book at her Los Angeles salon, Delux, she thought it was a prank by one of her employees. “All the people he had written in were names of celebrities famous in the ’80s, like Molly Ringwald,” But to her surprise, Patrick actually came for the appointment: “I was shocked,” she said about that fateful day in 1994. “But at the same time, I was happy because he was so cute.” According to Patrick, Jillian didn’t hide her feelings about Patrick. “She was always flirting,” he told People, but Jillian protested by saying, “That’s not true!”
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9. Dempsey Was Previously Married
Prior to meeting Jillian, Patrick was married to a much older woman. After a year of dating, he married the mother of his best friend, actress and manager Rochelle “Rocky” Parker in 1987. There was a 27 year age difference between them, as he was 21 at the time and she was 48. The marriage lasted 6 years before the couple divorced in 1994. “I got a lot out of it; it made me a much better man,” he once told People. He acknowledged that the age gap was an issue in their relationship and said, “people wind up going through two different cycles in their lives.”
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8. Wedding
After 3 years of flirting at the hair salon, Jillian and Patrick started dating. On July 31, 1999, the couple wed at Patrick’s family farmhouse in Maine. The wedding was a smaller ceremony with family and friends. In a sweet moment, Patrick cried when Jillian walked down the aisle.
David Fisher / Rex Features
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7. Children
Patrick and Jillian have 3 children together: Talula Fyfe born on February 20, 2002, and twin sons Sullivan Patrick and Darby Galen born on February 1, 2007. Despite having hectic schedules, the couple is heavily involved in their children’s lives. Patrick is a hands-on dad, and spends his time coaching his sons’ football team. He also regularly teaches his children how to cook.
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6. Work Relationship
Since they both work in the entertainment industry, it’s not unusual for Patrick and Jillian to work on the same jobs; however, they try to keep boundaries between their work and personal lives as much as possible. When Patrick worked on the 2002 film Sweet Home Alabama with Reese Witherspoon, Jillian respectfully kept her distance, even though her makeup was being used on the set. “We try not to get into each other’s work too much,” Dempsey said in 2002.
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5. Divorce Announcement
Fans of the couple were surprised to learn that Patrick and Jillian were having difficulties in their relationship. In January 2015, Jillian filed for divorce after 15 years of marriage. The couple issued a joint statement that read, “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.” Several rumors emerged as to why the couple were separating with some reports claiming that Patrick’s obsession with motorcar racing was to blame. In an interview with Associated Press, Patrick alluded to the challenges of maintaining a healthy work-life balance. “It would be nice to be one-pointed and not spread so thin sometimes. I think where I’m going is to really streamline and be much more specific in balancing things a little bit better than I have in the past.”
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4. Stepping Back
With his marriage on the rocks, Patrick decided it was best to reevaluate his priorities. In May 2016 he told the Evening Standard: “I’ve sort of stepped back — I’m the team owner, but time goes by so quickly with my kids that I don’t want to miss that. Last year we had a good team, and a good car, it was the right moment…where I could focus 100 per cent on doing a full season. Now it’s time to put that personal philosophy into my kids, allowing them to find their goals, their passions.”
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3. Reconciliation
Patrick’s effort to repair his marriage and family life was worth it, as he and Jillian reconciled in May 2016. The two were spotted holding hands together in Paris, and a few months later vacationing in St. Barts with their children. When asked by the Evening Standard if he and Jillian had reconciled, Patrick replied, “Yeah, I think so. You have to work at everything. And you cannot do everything. Something has to be sacrificed.”
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2. Being A Better Dad
Moving forward, Patrick has committed to being the best he can be for his family. He told Life magazine that fatherhood has changed him. “Now, making money is about providing for my children. And being a father makes you look at yourself. You look at your marriage and go, ‘How do I improve this? How do I keep growing and create a stable environment for my children?'”
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1. Family Life
Nowadays, Patrick and Jillian lead busy lives with their 3 children. Jillian regularly posts pictures of family outings, like swimming on the Fourth of July holiday. Their daughter Tulula recently graduated from grade 8, and the entire family came out to celebrate her special day. The family also keeps busy with their pets – 2 French bulldogs named Horton and Clem.