Who Is Patrick Dempsey's Wife? All About Makeup Artist Jillian Dempsey
- - Who Is Patrick Dempsey's Wife? All About Makeup Artist Jillian Dempsey
Emily Weaver, Nicole PomaricoJanuary 27, 2026 at 3:11 AM
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Patrick Dempsey and Jillian Dempsey
Jon Kopaloff/WireImage
Patrick Dempsey first met his wife, Jillian Dempsey, when he was a client at her hair salon
They married in July 1999
The couple share three children, Talula, Darby and Sullivan
After more than 25 years of marriage, Patrick Dempsey and Jillian Dempsey have celebrated a lot of major life milestones together.
Those milestones include the actor's 60th birthday, when Jillian surprised Patrick on the set of his new thriller series, Memory of a Killer, which premiered on Fox in January 2026. Jillian shared a video of the sweet surprise on Instagram.
While Patrick is probably best known as "McDreamy" on Grey's Anatomy, Jillian started out as a hairstylist and has made a name for herself in the makeup and skincare industry.
The couple met in 1994 when he was a client at her hair salon. They eventually wed in 1999 and welcomed three children together. Over the course of their relationship, the pair haven't shied away from discussing tougher topics, including their near-split in 2015.
"Our marriage was not something I was prepared to let go of," Patrick told PEOPLE in 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."
In 2023, Patrick was named PEOPLE's Sexiest Man Alive and Jillian celebrated the news publicly. "Well, the cat’s out of the bag for 2023 @people’s #SexiestManAlive and my hubz is on the cover!" Jillian wrote on Instagram. "Loved being a part of this insanely fun ride with you @patrickdempsey. What a title! You truly are my sexiest man alive."
So, who is Patrick Dempsey's wife? Here's everything to know about Jillian Dempsey.
She's a makeup artist with an A-list client roster
Jillian Dempsey and Kristen Stewart Charley Gallay/Getty
Jillian has been a highly celebrated hairstylist and makeup artist since she broke into the industry in the early '90s. Apart from running her Los Angeles hair salon (which she sold in 1998), Jillian's résumé includes creating a signature lip gloss for the Charlie's Angels cast and having her products used in the 2002 rom-com Sweet Home Alabama.
She also has a star-studded clientele. Her Instagram features photos of her work with Kristen Stewart, Kate Winslet, Emma Roberts and more.
She's launched two makeup brands
Known as a master of color, Jillian has founded two makeup brands. Her first collection was called Delux Beauty and her primary focus was to make products that could be applied by hand, not by brush or sponge.
In 2014, Jillian launched her namesake cruelty-free, organic and vegan makeup line. "With my first brand Delux Beauty, I couldn't afford to do anything that was natural. The cost of goods would have been too high," Jillian told Beauty Independent in 2021. "I wanted to make my current brand cruelty-free and vegan, utilizing natural and organic materials where I could find ingredients and making it really easy to use."
Patrick has supported his wife's endeavors over the years — and has even modeled for her! On March 30, 2023, Jillian posted a video on Instagram of herself applying Patrick's moisturizer and fixing his hair as a camera flashes. "Thank you for being such a fun model on our shoot days," Jillian wrote in the caption before listing products she used from her namesake line.
She met Patrick at her hair salon
Jillian Dempsey and Patrick Dempsey Michael Tullberg/Getty
The makeup artist told PEOPLE that, back in the day, one of her employees had a knack for jokingly jotting down regular customers as high-profile celebrities, so when she saw Patrick's name on the list, she assumed it was a joke. So, Jillian was pleasantly surprised when she saw the actor walk into her Los Angeles hair salon and into her chair. "I was shocked," she recalled. "But at the same time, I was happy because he was so cute."
Both Patrick and Jillian were in relationships when they first met, so things didn't turn romantic until 1997. "She was always flirting," Patrick recalled to PEOPLE. Their first date was a homemade meal at Patrick's home, and Jillian moved in three months later.
While the two met when Jillian cut Patrick's hair, the actor later took the clippers into his own hands. On Dec. 11, 2022, the makeup artist shared a video of Patrick cleaning up the edges of his new buzz cut. She captioned the video, "Change is good!"
She married Patrick in 1999 and they have three children
Patrick Dempsey and Jillian Dempsey Patrick Dempsey Instagram
After two years of dating, the couple tied the knot in July 1999 during an intimate farmhouse wedding on a family property in Maine. According to Jillian's sister, Patrick shed a few tears watching his bride walk down the aisle.
The couple have since welcomed three children: daughter Talula Fyfe in 2002 and twin sons Sullivan Patrick and Darby Galen in 2007.
Patrick and Jillian celebrated 25 years of marriage in July 2024.
"Life would not be the same without you, your vision, your kindness, your compassion, your love, your sexiness, your intelligence, your warmth, your friendship, your wisdom," the Made of Honor star wrote on Instagram in honor of his wife and their major milestone.
She and Patrick briefly split in 2015
Patrick Dempsey and Jillian Dempsey Charley Gallay/Getty
In January 2015, the actor and celebrity makeup artist briefly split; Jillian even filed for divorce. The pair spent the year in couples therapy, privately repairing their marriage.
"Everybody has their own path," Patrick later 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, okay, if you have differences, you can work them out."
He continued, "You can only do one thing at a time and do it well." For Patrick, that meant less time on his car racing hobby and more time at home. "I [learned] to prioritize. 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," he said.
The actor referred to their reunion as a "new beginning." Their secret? "You've got to communicate, and stay open and not get lazy," Patrick said. "And not give up. And lots of sex!"
She feels most beautiful surrounded by her family
Patrick Dempsey and Jillian Dempsey and their children Talula, Sullivan and Darby Karwai Tang/WireImage
Jillian actually "loves being makeup free," despite her profession. In an interview with Maine Women Magazine, the mom of three shared that she feels most beautiful when she's "looking at [her] kids and laughing at [her] kids." She especially treasures "the way they are super silly and natural."
She told the outlet, "I would hate for them to remember me as 'in a mirror doing your makeup' ... I think that is why I like to do everything on the vanity front as condensed and fast as possible. I call it 'lazy girl makeup.' "
She appreciates her family's advice on her products
Patrick Dempsey and Jillian Dempsey Dave M. Benett/VF17/WireImage
When it comes to Jillian's makeup line, she isn't afraid to turn to her family for help when she's in need of a guinea pig. "I will always try everything on my family members, and I absolutely welcome any and all feedback," Jillian told PEOPLE in 2022.
"My big thing is to make sure the lipsticks taste good when you kiss. And, well, so far they taste pretty darn good," Patrick once said.
She and Patrick attended the 2023 Venice Film Festival
Patrick Dempsey and Jillian Dempsey
Andreas Rentz/Getty
The couple attended the premiere of Patrick's film Ferrari at the Venice Film Festival in August 2023. Jillian turned heads in a white A-line dress that she paired with a leather jacket, while her husband looked handsome in a black tuxedo.
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
