Patrick Dempsey ‘has been acting like a diva’ on the set of ‘Grey’s Anatomy’

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Everything is not coming up roses for Patrick Dempsey! These are some photos of Patrick at the pre-premiere (??) of WINNING: The Racing Life of Paul Newman a few days ago. If Patrick looks super-shady to you, that’s because he really does look squirrelly and weird in these photos, like he stepped out of an intense bender from 1988. Patrick is probably living it up more than usual these days – in January, we heard that Patrick and his wife Jillian Fink were divorcing after 15 years (and long-standing rumors of marriage trouble and Patrick’s infidelities). And now it looks like Patrick’s career is going to hell too. Page Six says Patrick is on the way out of Grey’s Anatomy because of his “diva” behavior. Interesting.

Patrick Dempsey’s time on “Grey’s Anatomy” could soon be up, with sources telling us his “diva” behavior on the set of the ABC show has infuriated creator Shonda Rhimes. Dempsey, who has played Dr. Derek Shepherd since the series began in 2005, was last November written out of the show, explained by his character getting a job in DC. Dempsey has since only returned for fleeting appearances, even though he signed a new two-year deal in January 2014.

A show source said, “Patrick has been acting like a diva and has clashed with Shonda. She suspended him for a while, and the word on set is that he isn’t coming back full time…Given all the past problems with Katherine Heigl and Isaiah Washington, there is little tolerance on the show for troublesome talent.”

After Dempsey’s character was sent to DC, Rhimes told Entertainment Weekly in January, “It’s highly possible that we might not see Derek for a while . . . There will be a time when you see him again, yes, but it’s probable that you won’t see Derek for awhile.”

The show is nearing the end of Season 11. But Dempsey, who is contracted through the end of Season 12 and 2015, has talked about leaving. The actor — who is in the midst of a divorce with his wife, Jillian Fink — said in November the medical drama “has been a blessing for me and has allowed me to do all this. But it’s transitional for me right now. I’m looking forward to the next thing, creatively.” He said his exit from “Grey’s” would happen “very soon,” but didn’t say when.

Our source added that his comments “didn’t help” Dempsey’s frosty relationship with Rhimes. A rep for Dempsey said, “I can confirm that this story is not true,” and a rep for the show didn’t return calls and e-mails.

[From Page Six]

It sounds more like Dempsey and Shonda Rhimes were simply sick of each other, that Patrick was looking for a way out of his contract and that Rhimes was trying to push him out as well. But sure, maybe he’s a diva. I doubt his transgressions were as awful as Katherine Heigl’s, but after 11 seasons, sure, people get sick of working with the same old people. What’s funny to me is that Shonda Rhimes gave Patrick Dempsey his legitimate second-act career. And if he thinks he’s going to go on to bigger and better things post-Grey’s Anatomy, he’s sorely mistaken.

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Photos courtesy of WENN.

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37 Responses to “Patrick Dempsey ‘has been acting like a diva’ on the set of ‘Grey’s Anatomy’”

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  1. Lindy79 says:

    McScruffball

  2. VirgiliaCoriolanus says:

    The only thing I’ve actually ever seen him in besides Grey’s Anatomy is “Valentine’s Day”…he played a cheating…doctor? dentist?

    • taterho says:

      I just remember him from that pizza delivery boy/gigolo movie from the 80’s. I have thought about bingeing Grey’s Anatomy on Netflix.

    • mia girl says:

      Come on, he’s best known as the cowboy-hat-wearing, lawn-mowing, telescope-wanting, anteater-tribal ritual-dancing, teenage dude!

    • jen2 says:

      Mobsters with Christian Slater, Anthony Quinn and Michael Gambon (amongst others), who had the worst accent I have ever heard. They all probably want this one to disappear. But the 20s clothes were cool.

      • bella says:

        i’ll always remember him from the 1st time i ever saw him act from the TV show “once and again” with sela ward and billy campbell.
        dempsey play sela ward’s character’s adult special needs brother.
        his acting really was superb and endearing.

    • holly hobby says:

      He played a Kennedy like scion in Sweet Home Alabama. This was when he was in a career upswing – right before he did Grey’s.

      Eh I gave up on Grey’s this year. Too much focus on that whiney April (why is she a thing? Why did they give the hottest guy to that character). Bitter Meredith was also hard to watch. They should just cancel the whole thing. I’m done.

    • moon says:

      ENCHANTED!
      Although Amy Adams stole the show, and he played a variation of McDreamy.

    • Pumpkin Pie says:

      He also starred in Sweet Home Alabama with Reese Witherspoon.

  3. mia girl says:

    “he really does look squirrelly in these pics”

    @Kaiser – squirrelly AND skunky.

  4. Sam says:

    He has no room to be acting that way. Grey’s basically resuscitated his career. Before that, wasn’t he best known as being a young star from the 80s who kind of just drifted away? If I were him, personally, I’d be staying in Shonda’s good graces all the time. She axed Katherine Heigl, she can ax you too!

  5. Rachel says:

    McDreamy – not so much….

  6. The Other Pinky says:

    I can believe this. Isaiah did say that his (inexcusable) rant was triggered by Dempseys constant tardiness, like he used lateness as a power move to show everyone that HE was the big man on campus. I think Shonda is older, more established now and has far less tolerance for onset shenanigans.

    • FLORC says:

      I’ve met him several times (several years ago) and know people who were close to him from his home town (Lewiston was not far from where I was). His ego is massive! When people didn’t react to him like he might have thought they would he became a jerk. He’s imo best descibed as a male Katherine Heigl.

  7. Jess says:

    Love him on Grey’s Anatomy but he’s not smart to mess that up – he’s not going to get another gig that good.

  8. melissa says:

    I didn’t even know Greys Anatomy was still on.

  9. StormsMama says:

    He’s gorgeous. Put him on Law and Order or create a Showtime or HBO show for him and I’m in.
    Not surprised his marriage fizzled. She is busy in her own right and they tried to live in Maine and LA and…it’s a successful marriage in many ways to make it as long as they did!
    I don’t blame him for wanting to leave that show. 10 years on one show is impressive.
    None of this strikes me as DIVA it’s more likely he is just desperately “ready for a change”

    • TwoDegrees says:

      He’s so HOT, loved him in Enchanted and Sweet Home Alabama.
      I have never watched a full episode of Greys , I don’t find hospital shows entertaining at all,having gone through several deaths in family when younger, having to spend months in hospitals watching family members die. I just don’t find shows set is hospitals with patients and sad stories,entertainment.
      Still I like Patrick in other films he has done. I find him charming in roles and he is gorgeous.

      IMO Patrick is way better looking than George Clooney. No contest, for me though, Patrick is so gorgeous whereas George does nothing for me.

  10. Caroline says:

    First, for every post about Grey’s there has to be a “I didn’t even know that show was still on!” snark. Spare me. It still draws 7 or 8 million viewers a week and while it’s def long in the tooth it has had some very bright moments over the past few years.

    That said, this dude is on a death spiral of the classic male mid-life crisis. Ditch the wife because she’s “too demanding” and act like a d-bag at work because “I wanna go play with my cars outside” etc etc. While I don’t doubt that Shonda did banish him (temporarily), I also think she’s a true pro, and if she wants to end this series next year she will not want Meredith and Derek to break up or have him die so close to the finish line. She’ll keep him working enough to satisfy the story needs but nothing will focus on them.

    When his contract is up he will concentrate on racing bc Shonda has made him a very very rich man. No one will miss him.

    • TwoDegrees says:

      Never got the appeal of hospital shows, too much sadness, people’s illnesses and death. I didn’t watch ER or Greys…even though both were, are massive hits. Never understood the hype of either.

  11. Izzy says:

    Other opportunities? You mean like some awful Michael Bay Transformers movie?

  12. holly hobby says:

    I really think he doesn’t have to work after Grey’s. He’ll be one of those actors who do not have to work again. I’m sure the Grey’s contract was very generous and he gets residuals. He has been losing interest in acting for awhile. He used to do a movie every summer but stopped. The last one was Enchanted?

    Whatever, I don’t blame him for wanting to move on. 10 years is really long to be on a show. All the original ER docs left too.

    • TwoDegrees says:

      He’ll do a film or project every now and then under the Disney banner, once Grey’s is over. He may or may not be a DIVA, but ABC, Disney like him.

  13. Stacy says:

    I have never seen a single episode of this show, but I am genuinely shocked here. I thought it ended 2 or 3 years ago. It’s still on?!?

  14. looperbee says:

    I don’t think he’s much interested in acting anymore, but is concentrating on racing. He’s doing a full season in the WEC this year and he seems very serious about it. He’s not a bad driver either; nothing special but solid for sure.

  15. Mimz says:

    It did strike me as odd when he was gone for several episodes this season. Yeah some of you are like “is this still on?” but lets be honest even if you never saw it on tv anymore you never heard of it being cancelled. That show is almost as solid as any CSI thing that goes on for decades.
    Also, he seemed quite ungrateful in several of his interviews in the past, saying things about shonda like “i dont think that was a good idea but whatever” (the musical episode – i don’t think it was the best but i enjoyed Sara Ramirez bit because she sings beautifully!!)
    He also said he basically stays in Greys because it’s a steady paycheck, in a world of series being cancelled every year..
    He better not step on my girl Shonda’s toes. She will cut him off.
    AND I noticed that his absence this season didn’t make much of a difference really… If Sandra Oh can leave, he can go right after IMHO.
    And she at least is open for guest appearances and when she left she did it the right way.
    Anyway… he irritates me. If he goes, good riddance. Meredith deserves some new love. I’d love Single Amazing Meredith for a change. I’d love that!!

    • Eleonor says:

      Ahah Single Meredith might be fun!
      And Sandra Oh, I really miss her, and I agree with you, she left in the right way.

      • chick binewski says:

        Sandra did exit gracefully & gratefully (in public at least). She gave a great interview with EW and said Shonda better put her in the finale. Ellen Pompeo, if not always enthusiastic, has also been appreciative of GA. I believe she is just one of those people who puts their head in the work and that’s it.

        This week’s cringe-inducing Derek-centric Grey’s promo is “This is the episode America will never forget”. Maybe Denny guest stars to help Derek cross over to the other side.

        I’d be very happy if Dempsey goes, Jo goes, and Alex and Meredith finally get together. End of show.

  16. Bridget says:

    I thought he had signed a contract for a reduced number of episodes for these next couple of seasons, because he”s made it clear that he’d rather concentrate on racing.

  17. KT says:

    His true passion is driving race cars, and he’s getting quite good at it too. His role on Grey’s has bankrolled his racing career. It doesn’t shock me at all that his time is up in the acting scene…

  18. Patti says:

    Kinda weird all they can say is “diva” behavior and not actually explain what he was doing. I know actors can be divas but I think so can creators and this show has a lot of drama so it can’t just be actors faults and considering Dempsey was physically attacked and TR Knight verbally attacked and the network and creators initially did nothing and they still played nice w/ press & told the company line – very professionally I’d give Dempsey a break. Normallly it’s fans that need to be told to calm down and the characters aren’t the actors but this seems like Shonda shouldn’t taken her revenge out on the character of Derek who is not Dempsey. Plus can she write anything else besides killing off characters at this point