In 2014, Patrick Dempsey was still television's sexiest neurosurgeon, and living in a house designed by star architect Frank Gehry that had been featured in Architectural Digest. Sure, he had a couple of embarrassing romcoms on his resume - think Enchanted andMade of Honour - but he was still McDreamy.
A scene from the movie Enchanted starring Amy Adams and Patrick Dempsey.
Not anymore.
In just a few months, Dempsey, 49, went from being one of the most recognizable stars of Shondaland to co-starring in a Christmas dramedy with Dennis Rodman. His character was written off Grey's Anatomy, where he was reportedly earning $350,000 (NZ$467,539) per episode. His wife of 15 years, makeup artist Jillian Fink, filed for divorce in January citing irreconcilable differences. That Gehry-designed mansion in Malibu? It's on the market for $14.5 million (NZ$19.37 mill).
Page Six reported that Grey's creator Shonda Rhimes had had enough of Dempsey. A source told the gossip column that Rhimes suspended him - hence Derek Shepherd's cross-country stint in Washington - and then fired him. "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."
"There is little tolerance on the show for troublesome talent," the insider also said.
Dempsey and Fink bought their Malibu mansion in 2009 for $7 million. According to Variety's Real Estalker, Mark David, "late last year, Mister Dempsey surreptitiously shelled out $1.925 million for an architecturally significant micro-compound just off Venice's hipster swarmed Abbott Kinney shopping and dining district." It's like the story of Matt LeBlanc in Episodes, where he's faced with having to dump his beloved house in Malibu for a sad bachelor pad in Venice or take a gig as a game show host to afford it.
The cast of Grey's Anatomy, 2008.
Dempsey is losing his beach house and his next onscreen project is Mission: S.O.P., the Rodman film written and helmed by a no-name director.
The lesson? Do not cross Shonda. Things will not go well for you.
