Patrick Dempsey, best known for his role in Grey’s Anatomy, has opened up about his challenging marriage to Rochelle ‘Rocky’ Parker, who was 26 years his senior. They first met in 1984 while working on a theatrical production. At that time, Dempsey was just 18, and Parker, a mother of three, was 44.
Relationship Timeline
Dempsey and Parker dated for three years before marrying in 1991. Their relationship began in the backdrop of Parker serving as Dempsey’s acting coach. She also took on the role of his manager, navigating the complexities of Hollywood alongside him.
- First Meeting: 1984, during Brighton Beach Memoirs
- Marriage: 1991
- Divorce Filed: 1994
- Divorce Finalized: 2006
- Parker’s Death: 2014
Challenges in Marriage
Dempsey’s marriage faced significant turbulence. In 1994, Parker filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences. She also alleged that Dempsey had assaulted her during the filming of Can’t Buy Me Love. However, this allegation was later retracted, which added to the difficulties in their relationship.
Reflecting on their age-gap marriage in 2006, Dempsey admitted that he had been seeking something absent in his own family life. He termed the relationship a “Freudian nightmare,” confessing that it brought many negative experiences that he was still working to overcome.
Impact of Family Circumstances
During the years of his marriage to Parker, Dempsey’s personal life was heavily influenced by his mother’s battle with ovarian cancer, which was diagnosed in the late ’90s. The disease recurred multiple times until her passing in 2014.
Life After Divorce
After his split from Parker, Dempsey married makeup artist Jillian Fink in 1999. They share three children and have managed to maintain a more stable relationship. Meanwhile, Parker passed away in 2014 from lung and throat cancer at the age of 74.
Dempsey’s reflections on his first marriage shed light on the complexities of relationships marked by significant age differences and personal challenges. His journey through this difficult chapter informs his current outlook on life and love.
