Chris Ivery is an American music producer and fashion entrepreneur best known as the husband of Grey’s Anatomy star Ellen Pompeo.
While his two-decade music career includes a co-writing credit on one of Rihanna’s biggest hits, Ivery has since pivoted into the fashion world and built a life largely out of the public spotlight.
Who is Chris Ivery?
Chris Ivery is a Cambridge-born music producer who spent roughly 25 years working in the music industry before switching to fashion entrepreneurship at age 50.
His most recognizable professional credit is co-writing “Cheers (Drink to That)” by Rihanna, released on her 2011 album Loud. That song later appeared as a soundtrack piece in the NBC musical drama Smash.
Despite his career accomplishments, Ivery is most widely recognized for his marriage to Ellen Pompeo, the lead actress of Grey’s Anatomy. He prefers a low-profile lifestyle and rarely courts media attention on his own.
His name entered public conversation significantly again in April 2025, when he stood alongside Pompeo and two of their children as she received her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
The couple first met in 2003 at a grocery store in Los Angeles. They soon discovered they had grown up just ten miles apart in the Boston area, without ever crossing paths as kids.
“We were six degrees our whole lives, so I feel like we were sort of meant to be,” Pompeo later recalled.
Early Life of Chris Ivery
Chris Ivery was born on February 7, 1967, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and holds American nationality. He grew up in the working-class suburbs outside Boston, an environment he later described as “blue-collar.”
Details about his parents and siblings remain largely private, though it is known his mother was Jewish and the family observed holidays such as Hanukkah and Passover.
Ivery attended Harvard University, though the specific degree or field of study he pursued has not been publicly confirmed.
He has kept much of his childhood out of the media. What is known is that his early environment shaped the choices, both good and troubling, that defined his youth.
Chris Ivery Age
Chris Ivery is 59 years old as of 2026, born on February 7, 1967. He and Ellen Pompeo grew up within ten miles of each other in Massachusetts but did not meet until adulthood in California.
That proximity, discovered after they met, became a detail both have referenced when describing their connection.
Criminal Past
Chris Ivery has a documented criminal past that began when he was 19 years old. He has been convicted of at least 13 criminal offenses, including drug trafficking, credit card fraud, document forgery, mail theft, and probation violations.
Those convictions led to three separate periods of incarceration, one of which involved a federal prison sentence.
His first arrest came in 1987 for drug possession. That offense resulted in a three-month jail term. He was subsequently re-arrested for a similar charge not long after his release.
A more serious conviction followed, with Ivery serving 15 months at a federal prison in Pennsylvania for receiving stolen property.
Then in 1998, he was arrested again after authorities found a 10-pound UPS package of marijuana in his possession. He was released six months later, and that appears to have been his final run-in with the law.
Before marrying Ellen Pompeo, Ivery disclosed his full criminal history to her. He attributed his past behavior to his difficult upbringing in Boston’s blue-collar neighborhoods, and Pompeo accepted him without judgment.
He has since been cleared of all charges and has not faced further legal trouble.
Chris Ivery Career
Chris Ivery built his primary career as a music producer over a span of roughly 25 years. His most prominent credit is co-writing “Cheers (Drink to That)”, which Rihanna recorded for her 2011 album Loud.
The track peaked at number 7 on the US Billboard Hot 100. It also featured in an episode of the NBC drama Smash in 2012.
Beyond songwriting, Ivery worked as a producer at Parallel Music and also served as executive producer in film and television at Calamity Jane Productions, the production company co-founded by his wife.
He additionally appeared in an episode of the MTV prank show Punk’d, where he pranked Pompeo on camera, and made a guest appearance on the talk show Entertainment Tonight.
At age 50, Ivery chose to pivot away from music entirely. He had long been a fan of the Italian sportswear brand Sergio Tacchini and was importing it from the UK because it was not available in the US.
Pompeo encouraged him to reach out to the brand directly. In 2019, he partnered with fashion executive Stefano Maroni to relaunch Sergio Tacchini in the North American market under the name STLA Collection.
The STLA Collection is a luxury unisex line produced in limited quantities in Los Angeles. It features elevated versions of classic Sergio Tacchini pieces, including the iconic Ghibli tracktop originally designed for John McEnroe in the 1980s, reworked in silk.
Ivery is reportedly currently serving as chief executive for lifestyle marketing at Sergio Tacchini. Pompeo said of the career change: “He just got the idea one day. He went to Italy and said, ‘I want to bring this back.’ These are his ideas come to life.”
Chris Ivery Wife
Chris Ivery and Ellen Pompeo met in 2003 at a grocery store in Los Angeles. For the first six months, their relationship was entirely platonic.
Ivery later described the shift: “We were friends for six months. Then one night she just looked different to me.”
In November 2006, Ivery proposed to Pompeo with a 3.5-carat diamond ring. The two married quietly on November 9, 2007, at New York City Hall. Then-Mayor Michael Bloomberg officiated the ceremony.
The couple flew in on a redeye Thursday night, married Friday morning, and celebrated with lunch at the restaurant Lupa afterward.
The marriage has lasted nearly two decades, with divorce rumors in 2012 proving false. That year, a celebrity news report alleged Ivery had flirted with another woman at a Guns N’ Roses concert.
The rumor circulated briefly but was later declared untrue. In April 2025, Ivery stood alongside Pompeo and two of their children, daughter Stella and son Eli, as she received her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Pompeo publicly called her husband “handsome” during her speech that day.
The couple share three children. Their first daughter, Stella Luna Pompeo Ivery, was born on September 15, 2009. Their second daughter, Sienna May Pompeo Ivery, was born in 2014 via surrogacy.
Their son, Eli Christopher Pompeo Ivery, was born on December 29, 2016. The family also made real estate investments over the years, including a Malibu estate purchased for over $30 million and properties in the Hollywood Hills sold for $2.075 million and $2.765 million respectively.
Chris Ivery Net Worth
Chris Ivery’s individual net worth is estimated at around $10 million based on his earnings from music production and his fashion ventures.
However, some sources place the combined net worth of Ivery and Pompeo at approximately $80 million, given Pompeo’s status as one of the highest-paid actresses in television history.
Ivery’s wealth comes from his 25-year music career, his role at Calamity Jane Productions, and his ongoing work with the STLA Collection and Sergio Tacchini.
The couple have also benefited from real estate gains, including selling a Hamptons farmhouse they bought in 2011 for $925,000 and sold in 2020 for $2.995 million.
Ivery is known to drive a luxury Range Rover and has maintained an affluent lifestyle while avoiding public displays of wealth.
Ellen Pompeo herself has been among the highest-paid performers on US television, earning around $20 million per year during peak Grey’s Anatomy seasons. That income has significantly contributed to the household’s financial standing.
Physical Appearance
Chris Ivery stands at approximately 6 feet 2 inches tall and weighs around 165 pounds. He has short dark brown hair and dark brown eyes.
Ivery is known to have multiple tattoos on his body, including a Star of David tattooed on his chest, reflecting his partial Jewish heritage through his mother’s side.
He typically appears at public events in well-tailored suits, consistent with his fashion industry role.
Frequently Asked Questions
How did Chris Ivery and Ellen Pompeo meet?
The two met in 2003 at a grocery store in Los Angeles. They discovered they had grown up just ten miles apart in Massachusetts without ever crossing paths.
When did Chris Ivery and Ellen Pompeo get married?
They married on November 9, 2007, at New York City Hall. Then-Mayor Michael Bloomberg served as the officiant.
How many children do Chris Ivery and Ellen Pompeo have?
They have three children: daughter Stella Luna (born September 15, 2009), daughter Sienna May (born 2014, via surrogacy), and son Eli Christopher (born December 29, 2016).
What is Chris Ivery’s most famous music credit?
He co-wrote “Cheers (Drink to That)” by Rihanna, which appeared on her 2011 album Loud and peaked at number 7 on the US Billboard Hot 100.
What is the STLA Collection?
STLA is a luxury sportswear line Ivery co-launched in 2019, relaunching the Italian brand Sergio Tacchini for the North American market. The unisex collection is produced in limited quantities in Los Angeles.
The Bottom Line
Chris Ivery is a music producer and fashion entrepreneur who built a career well before his marriage to Ellen Pompeo brought him broader public recognition.
His co-writing credit on Rihanna’s “Cheers (Drink to That)” and his 2019 relaunch of Sergio Tacchini as the STLA Collection mark the two most visible milestones of his professional life.
Ivery overcame a difficult past, including multiple criminal convictions and prison time in his youth, to build a stable family life and a second career in fashion.
He and Pompeo have now been together for over 20 years and raised three children largely out of the public eye.
His decision to stand quietly behind his wife at her April 2025 Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony said much about the man he has become.
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