Patrick Dempsey Photographed Wearing His Wedding Ring Two Days After His Wife Jillian Fink Filed for Divorce

Grey's Anatomy star races at the Daytona International Speedway

By Zach Johnson Jan 26, 2015 2:21 PMTags
Patrick Dempsey AP Photo/Terry Renna

Adjusting to life as a divorced dad takes time, as Patrick Dempsey can attest.

The Grey's Anatomy actor was seen wearing his wedding ring Sunday afternoon, two days after makeup artist Jillian Fink filed paperwork to end their 15-year marriage. The TV star, 49, was photographed in the pit stall at the IMSA 24-hour auto race at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla.

Twenty-four hours earlier, Dempsey skipped an autograph session for fans—an annual event he usually participates in—and was M.I.A. on the starting grid before the twice-around-the-clock endurance race.

The Can't Buy Me Love actor, who is part of a four-man driver lineup in the No. 58 Porsche 911 fielded by Wright Motorsports, spoke to the press, just hours before the couple announced their split. Presciently, Dempsey talked about what's next—both personally and professionally. "For me, I've been incredibly fortunate to have Grey's run as long as it has. It's been a tremendous gift, and it's allowed all of this to happen. That's been taking up a lot of time, and of course, you have a life off the track and your family and trying to balance that out and make that work and then focusing on the racing," he said, via Fox News.

"It would be nice to be one-pointed and not spread so thin sometimes," he said. "I think where I'm going is to really streamline and be much more specific in balancing things a little bit better than I have in the past." In January 2014, Dempsey signed a two-year contract to remain on ABC's Grey's Anatomy through a potential 12th season. "I'm not going to give up acting no matter how much I love racing," he vowed.

Fink cited "irreconcilable differences" as the reason for their breakup, and in a joint statement, the exes assured E! News that the decision to divorce was made with "careful consideration and mutual respect."

"Our primary concern remains the wellbeing of our children," they said, referring to daughter Tallulah Fyfe, 12, and twin sons Sullivan Patrick and Darby Galen, 7, "and we ask with profound gratitude that you respect our family's privacy at this very sensitive time."

The former couple got married in July 1999.

Dempsey was previously married to his In the Mood co-star Rocky Parker from 1987 until 1994.