Patrick Dempsey Said He Was 'Spread So Thin' Before Divorce

The actor talked about his work-life balance problem ahead of his divorce announcement

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Patrick Dempsey hinted at having trouble managing a work-life balance right before his wife, Jillian, filed for divorce.

The actor and racing enthusiast spoke to the Associated Press Friday at the Rolex 24 race in Daytona Beach, Florida, just hours before news broke that his wife had filed for divorce.

Though Dempsey, 49, didn’t mention the couple’s split, he did talk about needing to try harder at juggling his responsibilities.

“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.”

The Grey’s Anatomy star spoke highly of his time on the show but admitted it’s a big time commitment.

“I’ve been incredibly fortunate to have Grey’s run as long as it has,” Dempsey said. “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.”

Dempsey and his wife announced that they are splitting up after 15 years of marriage while he was taking part in the Friday race in Daytona.

“It is with careful consideration and mutual respect that we have decided to end our marriage,” the couple, who have three children together, told PEOPLE. “Our primary concern remains the wellbeing of our children, and we ask with profound gratitude that you respect our family’s privacy at this very sensitive time.”

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