Patrick Dempsey Left His 54-Year-Old Wife, Soon Tied Knot with His Fan — First Marriage He Initially Kept Secret

• Patrick Dempsey is a renowned actor best known for his role in "Grey's Anatomy."
• He has been married twice; his first marriage was a secret he kept for years.
• Towards the end of his first marriage, he met one of his fans, who later became his second wife.

Renowned actor Patrick Dempsey, widely recognized for his charm and charisma, is a celebrated actor who has made significant contributions to film and television. His portrayal of Dr. Derek Shepherd in the popular medical drama "Grey's Anatomy" brought him immense fame, critical acclaim, and a dedicated fan base.

Dempsey, who has been married twice, first married his co-actor, and shortly after their separation, he married his fan. His first marriage began on the set of the 1986 film "Brighton Beach Memoirs," where, at 18, he met his first wife, Rocky Parker, who was 44 at the time.

Their relationship began during the film's production, where Dempsey played a teenager, and Parker played his aunt. As they spent more time together, their connection deepened. Recognizing Parker's wisdom and experience in the industry, Dempsey appointed her as his manager after the film concluded, and she significantly influenced his career.

Their bond strengthened over time and evolved from professional to romantic. Parker narrated, "During the time that we were together, I went with him everywhere, to sets, anywhere he had to go. If there was going to be a camera there, I would make sure I was there for him."

Dempsey's fame skyrocketed after his performance in the 1987 film "In The Mood." They married in 1987 and kept it secret for two years due to the potential controversy their age difference could cause.

Once the secret was out, their age gap and Parker's role as Dempsey's manager raised eyebrows. Despite the controversy, they remained steadfast, attending NYU film school together and navigating the ups and downs of Dempsey's burgeoning career.

Besides being an actress, director, and manager, Parker was also a dedicated acting coach who found fulfillment in mentoring others. She believed actors needed support and guidance and committed herself to providing them.

Her passion for coaching was born from her own experiences and understanding the need for such support in the industry. Parker's personal life, however, was marked by a series of heartbreaks. Before she married Dempsey, she had been married twice before, with each union ending in a painful separation.

Her first marriage was to Sheldon Leonard Stein in 1958, and they had a child, David Alan. Sadly, their marriage ended shortly after David's birth. In 1964, Parker found love again with John Hass, and they had a son, Corey Parker Hass. But in 1968, tragedy struck when Hass passed away, leaving Parker a widow.

She later had a relationship with Nick Ferri, with whom she had her third child, Noelle Parker, in 1979, even though they never married. In 1987, Parker married Dempsey, 26 years younger than her. In an article about his mother, Corey revealed that the couple had a long-standing relationship before marriage.

Parker was unfazed by the murmurs and judgments. Corey wrote, "She was following her heart. She was an original who found her own way through every twist and turn of life." Her work served as her guiding light, illuminating her journey.

She instilled in Corey the belief that pursuing acting is a legitimate and feasible career, emphasizing the importance of leading with one's heart. Their marriage faced challenges, and by 1992, their relationship began to deteriorate, leading to a divorce filing in 1991.

The divorce proceedings were lengthy and tumultuous, with the 54-year-old Parker accusing Dempsey of physical and mental abuse. She accused, "While we were on the set of his movie 'Can't Buy Me Love,' he beat me because he claimed he wanted to see what it was like to beat up a woman. I now suffer from arthritis in my hand from where Respondent injured me."

She added, "The physical abuse included Respondent breaking my finger when he rushed me to a van and closed the door on my finger." Over a decade later, Parker retracted these allegations, stating she had been advised to make them during the divorce proceedings.

She distanced herself from the accusations, stating they were false, even though a day before, she had said that Dempsey had abused her on the set of "Can't Buy Me Love" but never did it again after the alleged incident and that she had forgiven him.

In an ABC interview, Dempsey revealed that he married a woman whose son was a year older than him because he needed a mother figure. He admitted, "There are a lot of things I'm still undoing from it, and I will always have to remember."

In a separate interview, Dempsey reflected on his marriage to Parker, acknowledging that it made him a better man, stating, "I got a lot out of it; it made me a much better man." However, he recognized the challenges of their significant age gap and how it led them to different paths.

His career also took a hit in the early '90s due to a series of box office flops, leading him to confess, "I wasn't on the hot list anymore." Sadly, Parker passed away at 74 on April 19, 2014, after battling Stage 4 lung and throat cancer.

Parker had been smoking since she was 18. Her ashes were spread over the Pacific Ocean near her Santa Monica home, as per her wishes. Despite her illness, Parker remained professionally active until her final days.

She maintained an agent, kept her resume current, and continued auditioning. Even her age didn't deter her from driving. She even resumed classes at Ivana Chubbuck's Studio, showcasing her passion for acting.

In 1994, Dempsey met Jillian Fink, a hairstylist at Delux, a trendy L.A. salon. Fink was taken aback when Dempsey, whom she had only admired on screen, showed up for a haircut, initially thinking his appointment was a prank. Their initial meeting ignited a spark that evolved into a deeper relationship over three years later.

When they first met, they were romantically involved with other people. In 1997, upon discovering that Fink was unattached, Dempsey invited her for a dinner he prepared himself, resulting in Fink moving in with him three months later.

The couple married in 1999 and went on to expand their family. They had their daughter, Tallulah Fyfe, in 2002, followed by twin boys in 2006. After 15 years of marriage, they briefly separated in 2015, with Fink filing for divorce and requesting joint custody and support.

In a joint statement they released, they said, "It is with careful consideration and mutual respect that we have decided to end our marriage." However, Dempsey wasn't ready to give up on their marriage. Believing they hadn't exhausted all efforts to save their relationship, they sought couples counseling and gradually began to repair their relationship.

Dempsey told People magazine, "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." In July 2023, they celebrated their 24th anniversary, demonstrating their determination and commitment.

That same year, almost two decades after Dempsey established himself in Hollywood with "Grey's Anatomy," he was named "The Sexiest Man Alive" by People magazine.

During his run on "Grey's Anatomy," Dempsey's charm and attractiveness had already earned him the nickname McDreamy. The show's creator, Shonda Rhimes, shared in an Oprah interview that they started calling him Patrick McDreamy because he was the most adorable man they'd seen on camera.