Patrick Dempsey's 3 Kids: All About Talula, Darby and Sullivan (2024)

Patrick Dempsey is one proud dad.

PEOPLE's 2023 Sexiest Man Alive and his wife, Jillian Fink, are parents to three children. They first gained the title of mom and dad back in 2002 with the arrival of their daughter, Talula, 22. Just a few years later, the couple went on to welcome their twin boys, Darby and Sullivan, 17.

After welcoming the twins, Dempsey said that he thought parenting got easier the bigger his family grew — and added that his children had improved his life in so many ways.

"I love having a big family. I think it's easier, oddly, in some ways, having three children as opposed to one. And it's been great for my relationship with my wife and our life and everything," the Grey's Anatomy alum said in 2008.

But as his children have gotten older, Dempsey has come to determine that raising teens is "harder" than taking care of little kids.

“Because you need to be around, but they don’t want you around because they’re fighting for their independence, which they should,” he told PEOPLE in 2023. “They need to find out how they interact in the world, they need to learn those boundaries, they need to make mistakes. And you need to be there for them and allow them to learn from that.”

After he was named Sexiest Man Alive, taking the title from 2022's winner Chris Evans, he shared that his children would continue to keep him humble, despite the flattering moniker.

"They're just going to make fun of me and pick on me and figure out every reason why I shouldn’t be,” he told PEOPLE. “Which is good, they keep me young.”

His daughter may be privately teasing her dad, but she publicly expressed her support of the title in the comment section of PEOPLE's Instagram announcement. "Guess this means I'm sexy now too 😜," she wrote.

In December 2023, Dempsey was joined on the red carpet by his entire family at the Los Angeles premiere of his film Ferrari.

Here's everything to know about Patrick Dempsey's children.

Talula Fyfe Dempsey, 22

Patrick Dempsey's 3 Kids: All About Talula, Darby and Sullivan (1)

Dempsey became a father for the first time when he and Fink welcomed their daughter, Talula Fyfe Dempsey, on Feb. 20, 2002. Growing up, Talula and Dempsey had a tight-knit relationship and were often spotted spending time together — from horseback riding to hanging out on movie sets. He said the little girl especially loved when he got the chance to drive her to school.

"We talk about all kinds of things. We listen to the news and discuss it. I remember when I would do stuff with my father and my mother. You want those moments. They go by very quickly, so you try to get them in when you can," Dempsey told Parade.

While much of Talula's childhood was spent out of the spotlight, Dempsey admitted that watching his daughter grow up went by in the blink of an eye. Although time passed quickly, he said that the transition from a "baby girl" to a high schooler was a lot for him to handle.

"You go from a baby girl walking around in dresses to junior high and then high school. It's a big transition. You have to weather the storm!" he told PEOPLE.

As a high schooler, Dempsey called Talula "incredibly creative" and shared that she was a big fan of cooking. She even spent some time studying in London during one of her summer breaks. Talula graduated in 2020 and had to spend the last few months of her high school career in quarantine.

"The isolation for them and the lack of socialization is really challenging, especially senior year. My poor daughter missed everything. And that's the only reason you go back, senior year, is [for the] proms. It's the victory lap, you celebrate your education — and [she had] none of it," Dempsey said during an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!.

Patrick Dempsey's 3 Kids: All About Talula, Darby and Sullivan (2)

In order to make the best of the situation, Dempsey says the family hosted a "mock prom" at their house where Talula got dressed up and spent time with her friends on Zoom. While Dempsey was glad she found an alternate way to celebrate the occasion, he said his heart broke that she wasn't able to attend a traditional prom.

Now at 22, Talula attends college in Washington D.C. Before heading back to college for her junior year, she even spent her summer in Paris.

Darby Galen and Sullivan Patrick Dempsey, 17

Patrick Dempsey's 3 Kids: All About Talula, Darby and Sullivan (3)

The Disenchanted actor became a dad for the second time when Fink gave birth to their twin sons Darby Galen and Sullivan Patrick on Feb. 1, 2007, in Los Angeles. The couple selected the little boys' names before they were born but their daughter Talula helped determine which baby got which name.

Darby, who shares a middle name with his famous dad, was already distinctly different from his fraternal twin as an infant. He was born with a head full of blond hair while Sullivan had "Sid Vicious black, punk-rock hair."

Dempsey also shared that the pair had very different personalities, with Darby being much more "reserved and quiet" compared to Sullivan. He told PEOPLE, "Sullivan is very funny — he has funny expressions in the way he's taking things in."

As toddlers, the twins were hilarious — especially while they were learning new things, according to Dempsey. The actor joked that watching the boys learn to walk was like a "slapstick routine" because they looked like "drunk little men" running around. As they got older and more steady on their feet, Dempsey said it was non-stop action in the house, which even resulted in a broken arm at one point.

Patrick Dempsey's 3 Kids: All About Talula, Darby and Sullivan (4)

"Boys are completely different than girls for obvious reasons, but physically they're so much more active! You cannot turn your back [because] there's always an injury, there's always something going on," Dempsey shared on Jimmy Kimmel Live!.

Now at 17 years old, Dempsey says Darby has developed a passion for soccer — and the actor even coaches his soccer team. Sullivan on the other hand has taken an interest in following in his father's footsteps as an actor.

"I think with your kids, whatever their passion is, you give your support. You give them the opportunity to try what they want to try," Dempsey shared.

On Feb. 1, 2023, both Dempsey and Fink celebrated their sons' 16th birthday with throwback photos on Instagram. "Stuck together forever 😂," Fink wrote with a picture of the two neck-deep in sand. "HAPPY 'SWEET' 16 my D*boys Darby & Sullivan. I'm so honored to be your momma and love you both beyond words ♥️🖤."

Meanwhile, Dempsey shared a snap of the boys looking cleaned up in blazers and collared shirts. "Happy birthday boys !!! Love you and so proud of you both ! Can't believe you are 16 today!!" he captioned the post.

Patrick Dempsey's 3 Kids: All About Talula, Darby and Sullivan (2024)
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