What Happened After Patrick Dempsey's Wife Jillian Filed For Divorce?

After 15 years together, Jillian Dempsey filed for divorce from her husband, "Grey's Anatomy" star Patrick Dempsey, in January 2015. Per Us Weekly, Jillian cited irreconcilable differences as her reasoning for wanting a divorce, and, in a joint statement, the couple told People that they were also going through with the best interests of their three kids, Talula, Darby, and Sullivan, in mind. "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," they said in 2015.

Before their relationship, Patrick was notably involved in a messy first marriage with his former manager, Rochelle "Rocky" Parker. However, unlike that marriage, which raised red flags due to the wide age gap between he and his wife, the stars aligned for Patrick after the threat of divorce reared its ugly head a second time. Through successful couple's counseling, he and Jillian were eventually able to work out their problems and keep their marriage alive for the sake of both themselves and their family. "Everybody has their own path," Patrick told People in 2016. "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."

Though the damage to their relationship might have seemed irreversible for the couple following their divorce announcement, Patrick Dempsey said he was not ready to give up on his marriage to Jillian Dempsey so soon. "Our marriage was not something I was prepared to let go of," Patrick told People. "I didn't feel like we had done all the work. And we both wanted to do that work. That's where it started." Patrick has cited Jillian as an impactful force on both his life and interests, so one could see why he wasn't willing to quit so easily. "Her influence was profound," he told People in 2007. "Jill just gets me to believe in my dreams — and act upon them."

Their effort to mend their relationship prevailed, and the couple seem to be embracing their renewed romance. In July 2023, Patrick shared an Instagram post celebrating their 24th wedding anniversary. "24 years!" he wrote in the caption, which accompanies a photo of him and his wife on a hike. "What an amazing path we have been on! Love you! Happy anniversary." A November 2023 post made by Jillian saw her gushing over Patrick after he was named that year's Sexiest Man Alive by People. "What a title!" she told her husband. "You truly are my sexiest man alive."