Patrick Dempsey, Wife Jillian Fink's Best Marriage Quotes

For Grey’s Anatomy actor Patrick Dempsey, his marriage to Jillian Fink is something worth fighting for. The Golden Globe nominee and his stunning wife were married in 1999 and welcomed three children together: Talula, Darby and Sullivan. They hit a rough patch in 2015 and filed for divorce, but later reconciled, proving that their love was meant to last.

Patrick and Jillian met in 1994 when he booked an appointment at the L.A. hair salon that she worked at. The pair were both in other relationships at the time but maintained a friendship over the years. They officially began dating in 1997 and tied the knot two years later. The Enchanted star was previously married to Rocky Parker from 1987 to 1994.

The actor and the makeup maven welcomed their first child, Talula, in February 2002. Their twin sons, Darby and Sullivan, were born in February 2007. Patrick shared that Talula was “very excited and very good about taking care of her brothers” in a March 2007 interview with People. After 16 years of marriage, Patrick and Jillian announced their split in January 2015.

“It is with careful consideration and mutual respect that we have decided to end our marriage,” the couple shared in a statement at the time. “Our primary concern remains the well-being of our children, and we ask with profound gratitude that you respect our family’s privacy at this very sensitive time.”

In May 2016, the Sweet Home Alabama star told Evening Standard that the pair were back together. Since then, they have been inseparable and sharing their love for each other on social media. On their 19th wedding anniversary, the couple returned to the venue in Maine where they got married. They shared a smooch in a photo in front of the gazebo where they said, “I do.”

The Made of Honor actor posted throwback wedding photos to mark his 22nd wedding anniversary with Jillian in 2021. “Can’t believe it’s been 22 years, feels like yesterday. I love you and don’t know what I would do without you,” he wrote alongside the pictures on Instagram.

Keep scrolling to see Patrick’s sweetest quotes about his marriage with Jillian.

On Keeping the Romance Alive

Even with a busy filming schedule, Patrick and Jillian find ways to spend alone time together.

“Getting quality time together in a relationship — especially with three children, everyone is running around trying to get them to sporting events or school activities, getting them prepped for college or all that — couples have to figure to get date nights,” he told ET Online in October 2018. “That is what it is about.”

On Fighting for His Marriage

Longtime fans of Patrick were shocked when he and Jillian announced their split. However, his marriage was something he was ready to put in maximum effort to save.

“Our marriage was not something I was prepared to let go of,” the Emmy nominee told People in September 2016. “I didn’t feel like we had done all the work. And we both wanted to do that work. That’s where it started.”

On Prioritizing Their Kids

While working through their issues, the couple made sure to put their children at the forefront of everything.

“Everybody has their own path,” Patrick told People. “Jill and I decided it was time to work on our issues and improve. We wanted to be role models for our kids like, OK, if you have differences, you can work them out.”

On What He Loves About Marriage

After portraying Derek “McDreamy” Shepherd on Grey’s Anatomy for 11 seasons, Patrick learned how to balance his career with his family life.

“The best part about being married is … feeling centered,” he told Good Housekeeping in June 2011. “Nothing else matters so much as long as you can come home and be with your family.”