How Eileen Davidson Met Her Husband On The Set Of Young And The Restless
Before joining the cast of "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills," Eileen Davidson made a name for herself as a soap opera star, appearing in popular series such as "Santa Barbara," "The Bold and the Beautiful," and most famously, as Ashley Abbott on "The Young and the Restless." Davidson's husband, actor and TV personality Vincent Van Patten, had also been in the entertainment industry for many years when they first met.
Davidson's marriage to Van Patten was featured on "RHOBH," which had an impact on their relationship — but not in the way many would expect. "The show is actually really good for my marriage because I appreciate him so much going through all these ups and downs with the ladies," the daytime star told OK! in 2015 (although a creatively edited teaser for one season made it appear the two had issues). "We always were and we are doing fine right now," Davidson clarified at the time.
In 2017, Davidson stepped away from the Bravo series to focus on her acting career. Besides her work on the soaps "Y&R" and "Days of Our Lives," the actor also started working on film projects which included 2019's "7 Days to Vegas." Not only was Davidson one of the main characters of that movie, but Van Patten had the starring role, and was also the director. It was not the couple's first time teaming up on camera. They actually met while working together on "Y&R" which led to a fast wedding.
Eileen Davidson was pregnant when they got married
In 2000, Vince Van Patten was cast in 12 episodes of "The Young and the Restless" as Christian Page. His character was the love interest to Eileen Davidson's Ashley Abbott and the on-screen romance translated into real life. Once the pair became an item, Davidson was eager to start a family. "We met on 'Y&R,'" Davidson told Closer in 2018. "I wanted to get pregnant right away because I was 41, which was a main factor. And honestly, if you ever hear about people who are supposed to be together, that's just us," she added. The couple tied the knot in 2003 and Davidson was pregnant with their son, Jesse Van Patten, at the time, as she later shared in an Instagram post.
Before marrying Davidson, Vince welcomed two sons: Vince Jr. and Richard Van Patten. Vince stressed to Davidson that his children came first and "The Bold and the Beautiful" actor fully embraced their blended family. "His ex-wife and I have acknowledged that we are each other's teachers, and we've put the kids first 99.99 percent of the time," Davidson told Closer.
Their marriage has endured, but Vince's time on "Y&R" was relatively short. During an interview in 2010 with Smashing Interviews, Davidson was asked if her husband's character might return to the long-running series. "You never know, but I think Ashley already has her hands full," she replied. Vince did, however, appear alongside his wife in another soap opera series.
Vince Van Patten also worked on Days of Our Lives
More than two decades after the couple first worked together on "The Young and the Restless," Eileen Davidson reunited on-screen with Vincent Van Patten in 2022 when he was cast as Phil Hellworth in two episodes of "Days of Our Lives: Beyond Salem." For the mini-series, Davidson reprised her role as Kristen DiMera. In fact, Van Patten was very supportive of his wife when she first landed the opportunity to play Kristen. "However, when I first started running lines with him a few months ago, before this all started airing he immediately said, 'This is such a great part for you,'" Davidson told Michael Fairman TV in 2012.
When given the opportunity to talk about her husband, Davidson has been equally supportive. "People really don't know him at all. He's really a fantastic human being," she said about Van Patten while appearing on Bravo's "Daily Dish" in 2017. "He's an all-around great person. I'm really lucky," she added.
Van Patten is a mainstay on Davidson's Instagram feed, as she often posts about him and their family. Davidson made a special post in 2016 to commemorate Van Patten's 15-year anniversary as a commentator for "World Poker Tour." She has also given glimpses into their married life on social media. "Why is he enjoying this so much?" Davidson captioned a photo that shows her in an ice bath while Van Patten snickered.