James Pickens Jr. is widely known for his character Dr. Richard Webber on the hit ABC drama Grey’s Anatomy. On the show, James is the husband of Catherine Avery (played by Debbie Allen), but when he is not at work, he is a devoted husband to his real-life wife, Gina Taylor-Pickens. Now that James has revealed his prostate cancer battle, he has the love and support from Gina through it all.
Below is everything we know about Gina, their marriage, and their two kids.
Who Is Gina Taylor-Pickens?
Just like her husband, Gina (whose age is unknown) is also an actor! The beauty has worked on several projects including Deliver Us from Eva starring Gabrielle Union, And There Were 4, and The Lion King 3: Hakuna Matata. And she is not only credited as an actress, but also as a singer. For the hit Disney film, Gina is credited for working on the soundtrack song “Digga Tunnah” in 2004. In addition, the talented lady lent her vocals for the Disney project Sing Along Songs: Brother Bear – On My Way in 2003.
However, it doesn’t appear that Gina continued her work in entertainment after 2004. Although she is no longer seen on the screen, she is often pictured all over James’ Instagram. The Private Practice star is super-loved up with his wife of all these years, as he is always praising her online. On Feb. 14, 2022, he shared an adorable throwback photo with Gina. He captioned the post, “A Very Happy Monday & Valentine’s Day to all.” So cute!
Gina’s Marriage to James
Gina and James have been married for 38 years, as they officially tied the knot in 1984! Their marriage is one of the longest marriages in Hollywood, having lasted his full 17 years on Grey’s Anatomy. In Aug. 2019, James sat down with Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest during an episode of Live with Kelly and Ryan to reveal his secret to a long marriage. “We have a mantra that we’ve lived by for 35 years. Love unconditionally, forgive quickly, and treat strife and trouble like a basket of rattle snakes,” he said at the time.
The loving pair met when they were both struggling actors working in the New York City theatre scene, according to TV Fanatic. “I thought she was cute, and she gave me her number,” he told the outlet. Their first official date was a romantic stroll through Central Park, and the rest was history. He also shared that through all of life’s many ups and downs, he and Gina always were committed to staying together. “You gain strength in the struggle. We never veered from the focus of our careers, but also committed to staying together and building a family,” James added.
Gina & James’ Children
James and his wife have two adult children: Gavyn Picken and Carl Tharps. Gina and James welcomed their daughter in 1988, about four years after they got married. Carl is Gina’s son from a previous relationship, and he was born in 1974. James is a very proud father to both Gavyn and Carl, who he has featured on his Instagram as well. On Sept. 29, 2021, he shared a sweet family group photo of the three of them with the caption, “Happy Sons Day Carl.” Gavyn is a YouTuber and blogger with over 16K subscribers. She often posts content about her lifestyle, travel, and beauty advice. However, Carl lives a life out of the spotlight and it is not publicly known what he does for work.
