Ellen Pompeo Turns 53 — She Fights off Prejudice Raising 3 Biracial Kids with Beloved Husband of 15 Years

Ellen Pompeo, who celebrated her 53rd birthday with her husband, Chris Ivery, has gotten profound hatred because she married a man of color. At this stage in her life, and after years on "Grey's Anatomy," the actress believes it's time for the show to end and move on with her life.

Ellen Pompeo, the star of the hit series, "Grey's Anatomy," turned 53 in 2022. She has been married to her music producer husband since 2007. After they met in a grocery store in 2003, the two slowly built a friendship over the course of six months. Eventually, the two decided to try dating and see where it goes.

They discovered they were both originally from Boston, and their relationship grew over time. After dating for a while, they decided to take the next step. But they didn't want a big spectacle of a wedding. Instead, they opted for a small, secret ceremony.

The two wed at City Hall, officiated by New York City's mayor at the time. There was no fanfare, and the entire thing took very little time, which they preferred. Although the wedding was small, it was private, and they managed to avoid crowds of people and hordes of media.

After tying the knot in 2007, Pompeo and her husband, Chris Ivery, had two daughters, Stella Luna, 13, and Sienna May, 8, and one son, Eli Christopher, 5. The oldest of the three kids, Stella, has developed something of a love for the medical industry after going to work with her mom. The actress revealed:

"Yesterday I went in to find her [and] she was with Linda with a bone drill, drilling a fake femur bone with a real bone drill. She was supervised, but they have her doing advanced procedures!"

Pompeo's family used to live in a lovely renovated farmhouse in Long Island. With lots of windows, the house is filled with natural light, and the decor is tasteful and modern. The location is also perfect. The secluded home was ideal for the privacy-oriented actress.

Ellen Fights off Critics of Her Biracial Family

Pompeo's need for privacy is understandable, considering the critics of her family life. She is also an avid ally of marginalized groups and is very outspoken and honest about her life as the mother of biracial children. She opened up:

"Don't feel like you have to tiptoe. I'm not afraid to talk about race. A lot of people get very nervous when you bring it up, and I understand why they do, but I am not afraid. These are important conversations to have and if you're afraid to talk about it, that's a problem right there."

The actress also explained it's tricky to raise her kids since she doesn't always know how much to tell them. She also knows her kids will be treated a certain way throughout their lives because of their skin color. Because of this, the actress is an outspoken advocate for human rights and equal treatment.

The TV star has used her influence in the past to call out corporations for their lack of diversity. When A&E made a documentary about historical racist movements, she spoke out about it and celebrated when they canceled the documentary. She mentioned that many people took offense at her use of a black emoji to celebrate the cancelation.

She believes it's time for a change, both for the show and for her.

In retaliation to those who doubted her, she said she was just trying to help marginalized groups in the fight for their equality. Some people have accused her of appropriating another culture's identity, but she has always treated skeptics with respect and dignity.

Pompeo admitted she admires the talent she has seen among people of color. She said she sees how intimidating accepting others can be, but she chooses "to be a fan." Her own children serve as a source of inspiration for her, and they impress her daily.

Wanting to End "Grey's Anatomy"

Having portrayed the character of Meredith Grey on the medical drama, "Grey's Anatomy" since 2005, Pompeo believes it's time the show came to an end. She shared that she had been trying to convince people that the show has run its course, but no one wants to listen:

"​I feel like I'm the super naive one who keeps saying, 'But what's the story going to be, what story are we going to tell?' ​And everyone's like, 'Who cares, Ellen? It makes a gazillion dollars.'"

The actress has mentioned similar sentiments before and feels the show has told all the stories it can. She believes it's time for a change, both for the show and for her. She wants to focus on her humanitarian work instead of portraying the role of Meredith.

Pompeo's company, Betr Remedies, aims to help less fortunate individuals get the medication they need. She also said she would rather show her children how other people can help each other than tell others what to do.

She recently also opened up about her husband's reaction to some of the scenes she had to do in "Grey's Anatomy." Although she gave Ivery credit for being very secure about their relationship, she said he was initially slightly uncomfortable. She recalled:

"I remember in the beginning it was really hard for him. He was like, 'This is not what I signed up for. You go to work and make out with that. I like Patrick and everything, he's a good dude, but like really?'"

In response to his wife's intimate scenes with her on-screen counterpart, Patrick Dempsey, Ivery said "I'm the real McDreamy." Moreover, Pompeo, who celebrated her 53rd birthday with her husband, believes they are "blessed" to have each other.