Darby Galen Dempsey is the son of the Gray’s Anatomy actor Patrick Demsey and his wife of over twenty years, Jillian Fink. Galen is one of Demsey and Fink’s twin sons who have a total of three children.
Darby’s father, Patrick Dempsey, is best known for his role as neurosurgeon Derek “McDreamy” Shepherd in Gray’s Anatomy. His other film credits include Heaven Help Us (1985), Loverboy (1989), And Sweet House Alabama (2002). In addition, his father has also appeared Iron Jawed Angels (2004), Valentine’s Day (2010), And Bridget Jones’ Baby (2016).
While Dempsey’s marriage to Jillian wasn’t easy, they nevertheless managed to emerge stronger through every obstacle. And their union, including their sons and daughter, is arguably one of the strongest families in Hollywood. The piece below is about the one male from the next generation of the Demsey clan, Darby who, while quite young, can be interesting.
profile summary
| First and last name | Darby Galen Demsey |
| Date of birth | February 1, 2007 |
| Age | 16 (2023) |
| Birthplace | Los Angeles |
| Parents | Patrick Demsey (father) and Jillian Fink (mother) |
| Brothers or sisters | Sullivan (brother) and Talula (sister) |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | Mixed |
| Religion | Christianity |
| Constellation | Aquarius |
Key learning points
| Darby Dempsey and Sullivan were born two weeks early via cesarean section. The twins have an older sister Talula. |
| Darby, 16, is now attending his high school in Malibu, California, where the star kid now also lives. |
| His father Patrick is one of the most celebrated actors in Hollywood while his mother Jillian is a remarkable makeup artist. |
| Darby’s parents have been married since 1999, but were once on the verge of divorce. |
Patrick Dempsey’s son, Darby Galen Dempsey, was featured on the cover of a People magazine after his birth
Darby was born on February 1, 2007. The delivery took place on Thursday in Los Angeles along with his twin brother Sullivan Patrick Dempsey. Shortly after birth, Darby, along with his father Dempsey and his twin brother, graced the cover of the People magazine.
In fact, Patrick and his wife Darby and Sullivan had to give birth two weeks early by cesarean section.
from left, Darby Dempsey, Sullivan Dempsey and Patrick Dempsey attend the Scuderia AlphaTauri launch event at Hangar 7 on February 14, 2020 in Salzburg, Austria. Source: GettyTalking about the journey of becoming a father for the second time, the Valentine’s Day star said he was watching everything that happened to the doctors. He admitted that when he and Jillian first learned they were expecting not one, but two new additions to the family, he found it a little overwhelming.
However, he said his worries soon subsided when he met the boys.
Darby’s grandparents
Galen’s paternal grandmother, Amanda (née Casson), was a school secretary and his grandfather, William, was an insurance agent. His maternal grandfather was an education administrator from Denton, Texas.
What is Darby’s ethnic background?
On his father’s side, Darby’s ethnicity includes German, English, Scottish, distant Irish, remote Swedish, and possibly 5/2048 Native American.
Darby’s sister helped determine their names
In addition to his twin brother, Sullivan, Darby has an older sister, Talula Fyfe Dempsey, born on February 20, 2002. She was 5 when her two younger brothers were born.
Darby and his twin brother with his mom and dad.It was Talula who had helped decide on Darby and Sullivan’s names after Patrick and his wife had already decided on both of their names. Darby even has his famous father’s middle name.
Difference between Darby and his twin brother Sullivan
With people in 2007, the The sexiest man in the world said that Sullivan is kind of a grumpy old man, while Darby is very peaceful, like a “quiet little Buddha.”
In addition, the twins also shared distinctly different looks as babies, with Darby being born with a head full of blond hair, his twin having ‘Sid Vicious black, punk rock hair’.
One of the twins even broke his arms
A few years after the birth of the twins, proud father Patrick said during an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! that one of his sons has broken his arms. The incident occurred when twins Darby and Sullivan began dancing and “jumping on each other” on the dinner table.
So, on the same show, Dempsey shared his parenting experience and said:
“Boys are completely different from girls for obvious reasons, but physically they are so much more active!”
He added,
“You can’t turn your back [because] there is always an injury, there is always something going on.”
He has no younger siblings
The possibility of Darby and his brother, Sullivan, seeing a younger sibling has long been ruled out. In fact, the decision took place right after their birth or even before.
From right, Jillian Fink, Darby, Patrick Dempsey, Sullivan Dempsey and Tallula Fyfe Dempsey.Dempsey once stated that he and his wife were done when asked if he would add any more offspring.
Darby Galen Dempsey’s mother is a famous Hollywood performer
Darby’s mother, Jillian Fink, is a celebrity hair stylist and makeup artist. Jillian is one of the most notable makeup artists in showbiz. She has styled for stars like Julia Roberts, Bradley Cooper and even her husband.
His mother, Jillian Fink, is a renowned Hollywood hairdresser.She also has her own luxurious line of lip and cheek shades in addition to eyelid shades, kohl eyeliner, and a gold sculpting bar in her collection.
Darby Galen Dempsey’s parents, Patrick and Jillian’s relationship
Darby’s parents were married on July 31, 1999. People report that the wedding took place on a Maine ranch that belonged to the actor’s family. Galen’s mom and dad met at a hair salon after Patrick came to Jill’s salon for a haircut.
She remembers the first meeting, Jill said
“I was shocked [when he came in for an appointment] but at the same time I was happy because he was so cute,’
Then, after three years of cutting, Galen’s dad found out she was single and eventually asked her out. They then dated for three months before moving in together.
Dempsey’s mom and dad almost ended their marriage
The couple hit it hard in January 2015 when Darby’s mother, Fink filed for divorce of the father of her three children. The mother of three initially cited irreconcilable differences as the reason.
She also sought joint custody of her children with spousal and child support.
Dempsey’s parents, Patrick Dempsey and Jillian Fink, decided to end their marriage in 2015, but reconciled in late 2016. Source: GettyHowever, Dempsey and Fink decided to get together within a year. And in early 2016, the media saw them interacting several times and looking quite amicable.
After several months in May of the same year, Dempsey confirmed that they were back together. In an interview with the Evening Standard, when asked if he and Fink had reconciled, the Lewiston resident said:
“Yeah I think so.”
Reportedly, Darby’s mother and father, Dempsey and Fink, decided to work on their marriage with the help of counseling. The Maine-born actor said one of the reasons he and his wife got back together was because they wanted to be role models for their kids.
On November 4, 2016, Darby’s mother, Jillian, filed for the couple’s divorce papers to be rejected.
He goes racing with his father
Besides acting, Patrick also enjoys car racing in his spare time. Since 2013, his father has been involved in such professional competitions to any degree.
The father of Fink’s children has competed in prestigious pro-am events such as the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Rolex 24 at Daytona sports car race and Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 off-road race.
Patrick Demsey often brings his twin sons, Darby (right) and Sullivan to his auto racing events. Source: InstagramEven when Darby and his twin brother were just days old, dad told Patrick how he couldn’t wait to give the boys a ride on the track. And when they were both 12 years old, they joined their father as often as possible. Dempsey said, “Racing is a family sport.”
Darby Galen Dempsey’s father was married to another woman in the past
Before Fink, Darby’s father was in a marital relationship with Rocky Parker. The two were married from 1987 to 1994. The former flames first met in 1984, during one of Dempsey’s first acting jobs. Rocky was a widow and mother of three at the time.
They even had a 26 year age difference with Patrick being a junior. However, they divorced Rocky citing “irreconcilable differences” and Patrick also admitted to cheating on her.
Demsey’s ex-wife also said the Scream 3 star would beat her.
Where does Darby Galen Dempsey live now?
At the moment, Patrick Dempsey’s son, Darby, lives in his father’s Frank Gehry-designed home in Malibu, California. He lives there with his parents and siblings. It is also where Darby and his twin brother now go to school.
