Meant to be! Ellen Pompeo’s character Meredith Grey may have a rocky relationship history on Grey’s Anatomy — but her real-life love story is much more stable.
Pompeo met husband Chris Ivery in a Los Angeles grocery store in 2003 and after six months of friendship, the couple began dating. “One night she just looked different to me,” Ivery told People in a joint December 2006 with the Old School star.
The pair quickly realized their meet-cute was meant to be when they discovered they had grown up about 10 miles away from each other in neighboring Massachusetts towns.
For Pompeo, it didn’t take much more to know the music producer was The One. “I guess you fall in love and you think he’s the guy right away,” she gushed. “Right when you fall in love, you think he’s the guy. You don’t sort of fall into a relationship thinking it’s only going to be temporary. We were six degrees our whole lives, so I feel like we were sort of meant to be.”
The twosome secretly tied the knot a year later, with former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg officiating the ceremony. “They took us in this underground tunnel underneath City Hall … and you’re in the mayor’s office. Behind a bookshelf, a wall opens and then you just walk in and you’re in his office,” Pompeo recounted during a 2017 episode of Live With Kelly and Ryan. “No one knew, so we had that to ourselves.”
Throughout their marriage — and the birth of three children, daughters Stella and Sienna, and son Eli — Grey’s Anatomy made its way to becoming the longest-running medical drama in television history. Throughout its success, Pompeo remained at the helm of the series until she announced that she would be stepping back from the show in November 2022.
While Ivery has provided unwavering support for the Emmy winner throughout her career, there’s one thing he avoids in order to keep their marriage healthy — watching the Daredevil actress on screen.
“There was a time back in the day that I watched it a lot, but then I didn’t know if she had a lover,” Ivery exclusively told Us Weekly in February 2019.
“I would say I’m not jealous; I’m really confident, but it’s awkward. She’s acting but now she’s got this new lover, which I know him,” he said of Giacomo Gianniotti, who portrayed Dr. Andrew DeLuca on ABC hit from 2015 to 2021. “He’s a great guy. I actually like him. And to be honest, I haven’t watched those scenes because I feel like it can be awkward.”
While Ivery may not have tuned in to watch Pompeo every week, he still told Us he’s his wife’s “biggest fan,” noting that the secret to their longtime romance is creating time for one another — no matter what.
“What’s the secret? We’ve been doing it for a long time. I think the secret is taking the time that we need,” he explained. “Like if it’s me and her and we need a date night, we take it. It’s just sort of supporting each other. And obviously, with three kids it’s ample. Her on set, me downtown, it’s a lot. But she’s my biggest fan. I’m her biggest fan.”
Pompeo, for her part, echoed her husband’s sentiment and gushed over how “proud” she was of him for starting a clothing line after such a successful career as a music producer.
“He’s been in the music business for 25 years and he changed careers at 50,” she told Us. “And he killed it. I mean, knocked it out of the park. It’s amazing! So for anybody who feels they’re stuck, you can change your career at any age.”
As for why Pompeo chose to stick with Grey’s Anatomy for almost two decades — it was all about putting her family first.
“For me, personally, a healthy home life was so important to me — more important than a career,” she said during an August 2020 episode of the “Jemele Hill Is Unbothered” podcast. “I didn’t grow up with a particularly happy childhood. So the idea that I have this great husband, these three beautiful children … to have a happy home life was really something I needed. And so I made a decision to make money and not chase creative acting roles.”
Keep scrolling to relive Pompeo and Ivery’s longtime love story:
Meant to be! Ellen Pompeo’s character Meredith Grey may have a rocky relationship history on Grey’s Anatomy — but her real-life love story is much more stable.
Pompeo met husband Chris Ivery in a Los Angeles grocery store in 2003 and after six months of friendship, the couple began dating. “One night she just looked different to me,” Ivery told People in a joint December 2006 with the Old School star.
The pair quickly realized their meet-cute was meant to be when they discovered they had grown up about 10 miles away from each other in neighboring Massachusetts towns.
For Pompeo, it didn’t take much more to know the music producer was The One. “I guess you fall in love and you think he’s the guy right away,” she gushed. “Right when you fall in love, you think he’s the guy. You don’t sort of fall into a relationship thinking it’s only going to be temporary. We were six degrees our whole lives, so I feel like we were sort of meant to be.”
The twosome secretly tied the knot a year later, with former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg officiating the ceremony. “They took us in this underground tunnel underneath City Hall … and you’re in the mayor’s office. Behind a bookshelf, a wall opens and then you just walk in and you’re in his office,” Pompeo recounted during a 2017 episode of Live With Kelly and Ryan. “No one knew, so we had that to ourselves.”
Throughout their marriage — and the birth of three children, daughters Stella and Sienna, and son Eli — Grey’s Anatomy made its way to becoming the longest-running medical drama in television history. Throughout its success, Pompeo remained at the helm of the series until she announced that she would be stepping back from the show in November 2022.
While Ivery has provided unwavering support for the Emmy winner throughout her career, there’s one thing he avoids in order to keep their marriage healthy — watching the Daredevil actress on screen.
“There was a time back in the day that I watched it a lot, but then I didn’t know if she had a lover,” Ivery exclusively told Us Weekly in February 2019.
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“I would say I’m not jealous; I’m really confident, but it’s awkward. She’s acting but now she’s got this new lover, which I know him,” he said of Giacomo Gianniotti, who portrayed Dr. Andrew DeLuca on ABC hit from 2015 to 2021. “He’s a great guy. I actually like him. And to be honest, I haven’t watched those scenes because I feel like it can be awkward.”
While Ivery may not have tuned in to watch Pompeo every week, he still told Us he’s his wife’s “biggest fan,” noting that the secret to their longtime romance is creating time for one another — no matter what.
“What’s the secret? We’ve been doing it for a long time. I think the secret is taking the time that we need,” he explained. “Like if it’s me and her and we need a date night, we take it. It’s just sort of supporting each other. And obviously, with three kids it’s ample. Her on set, me downtown, it’s a lot. But she’s my biggest fan. I’m her biggest fan.”
Pompeo, for her part, echoed her husband’s sentiment and gushed over how “proud” she was of him for starting a clothing line after such a successful career as a music producer.
“He’s been in the music business for 25 years and he changed careers at 50,” she told Us. “And he killed it. I mean, knocked it out of the park. It’s amazing! So for anybody who feels they’re stuck, you can change your career at any age.”
As for why Pompeo chose to stick with Grey’s Anatomy for almost two decades — it was all about putting her family first.
“For me, personally, a healthy home life was so important to me — more important than a career,” she said during an August 2020 episode of the “Jemele Hill Is Unbothered” podcast. “I didn’t grow up with a particularly happy childhood. So the idea that I have this great husband, these three beautiful children … to have a happy home life was really something I needed. And so I made a decision to make money and not chase creative acting roles.”
Keep scrolling to relive Pompeo and Ivery’s longtime love story:
Credit: Alex Berliner/BEI/Shutterstock
2003
The twosome met in a Los Angeles grocery store and were friends for six months before they began dating.
After sparking a romance, the lovebirds realized that they grew up 10 minutes apart in Massachusetts. “We have a lot in common, We’re from the same hometown, almost,” Pompeo told the outlet at the time, adding that she knew he was The One early on. “You fall in love and you think he’s the guy right away. Right when you fall in love, you think he’s the guy. You don’t sort of fall into a relationship thinking it’s only going to be temporary.”
Credit: Matt Baron/BEI/Shutterstock
November 2006
The duo got engaged on Pompeo’s 37th birthday. “We were six degrees our whole lives, so I feel like we were sort of meant to be,” the actress told People in December 2006.
Credit: Sipa/Shutterstock
November 2007
The pair tied the knot in a secret ceremony in New York City. Former mayor Bloomberg served as officiator.
“They took us in this underground tunnel underneath City Hall … and you’re in the mayor’s office. Behind a bookshelf, a wall opens and then you just walk in and you’re in his office,” Pompeo recalled during a 2017 episode of Live With Ryan and Kelly. “No one knew, so we had that to ourselves.”
Credit: Gregory Pace/BEI/Shutterstock
April 2009
Pompeo and Ivery announced that they are expecting their first child together.
“It’s a huge lifestyle change, and I take that very seriously,” the Art Heist star told Allure in 2008 of motherhood. “[Chris and I] enjoy our life so much. We go to Europe and sleep in. So when I have the baby, I won’t feel like we’ve missed any fun, reckless times together, like staying up all night drinking champagne and having sex until five in the morning and not having to get up until two in the afternoon.”
Credit: Shutterstock
September 2009
A rep for the Massachusetts natives exclusively confirmed to Us that Pompeo had given birth to their first child.
“Her name is Stella Luna Pompeo Ivery,” the rep shared. “She was born September 15 in Los Angeles.”
Credit: Broadimage/Shutterstock
October 2014
Pompeo announced that she and Ivery had secretly welcomed baby No. 2 via surrogate.
“Sienna May Ivery welcome to the world,” Pompeo wrote via Instagram. “We love you more than words can say.”
She added via Twitter, “Sienna was born via surrogate & I would like to thank my whole @ShondalandTV family for helping us enjoy these first few weeks privately.”
Credit: Courtesy of Ellen Pompeo/Instagram
December 2016
The pair welcomed their third child, son Eli Christopher.
“Family and baby are all doing great,” a rep for the couple exclusively shared with Us at the time.
Following the birth of their son, Pompeo took to social media to explain her reasoning behind her newborn’s name.. “Chris Ivery just fell a notch. I’ve got a new guy,” wrote via Instagram alongside a sweet snap of the father-son duo cuddling.
Credit: Evan Agostini/Invision/AP/Shutterstock
February 2019
Ivery exclusively opened up to Us about the secret behind his and the Moonlight Mile star’s successful romance.
“What’s the secret? We’ve been doing it for a long time. I think the secret is taking the time that we need,” he explained. “Like if it’s me and her and we need a date night, we take it. It’s just sort of supporting each other. And obviously, with three kids it’s ample. Her on set, me downtown, it’s a lot. But she’s my biggest fan. I’m her biggest fan.”
The father of three added that the couple “love” going to Lakers and Clippers games together and out to dinner afterward. “We have an amazing place out in Malibu so sometimes we’ll go out there, stay out there for the weekend. Whatever. We’ll go out with friends for dinner,” he said.
Credit: Jason Merritt/Radarpics/Shutterstock
February 2019
The Catch Me if You Can star gushed over her husband successfully pivoting careers after half a decade.
“It’s amazing. It’s inspirational to change careers at 50,” she said. “He’s been in the music business for 25 years and he changed careers at 50. And he killed it. I mean, knocked it out of the park. It’s amazing! So for anybody who feels they’re stuck, you can change your career at any age.”
Credit: Courtesy of Ellen Pompeo/Instagram
August 2020
Pompeo revealed that her loyalty to Grey’s Anatomy revolved heavily around wanting a stable family dynamic.
“For me, personally, a healthy home life was so important to me — more important than a career,” she said during an episode of the “Jemele Hill Is Bothered” podcast. “I didn’t grow up with a particularly happy childhood. So the idea that I have this great husband, these three beautiful children… to have a happy home life was really something I needed,” she said. “And so I made a decision to make money and not chase creative acting roles.”
Credit: Michael Simon/Startraks
July 2022
Pompeo and Ivery made a rare appearance with their three children at the Dolce & Gabbana Alta Moda Women’s Show.
