In NBC's Bad Judge, Kate Walsh will be playing a role that's way different from the beloved Dr. Addison Montgomery, the character she played for years on Shonda Rhimes' Private Practice and Grey's Anatomy. Premiering on Thursday night, Walsh plays Bad Judge Rebecca Wright, who NBC describes as tough in the courtroom and a "wild woman" outside of it — she parties hard, comes into work hungover, and fights off the affections of many "male admirers." Walsh herself has had a steady string of real-life male admirers, but right now, she's sticking with one. Walsh is currently dating writer Chris Case and has been since 2011.
Sorry, guys — she's taken and they look very happy together. Her Instagram account is filled with adorable photos of Walsh and Case posing together at the Emmys, the Los Angeles Opera, LA Dodger games, and more. There are even photos of Walsh spending time with Case's two sons. Aww. But it's been a bumpy road to happiness in the love department for the 46-year-old actress. Like her character on Bad Judge, Walsh had her wild days and, unlike the judge, she's had her married days, too.
Super Party Soul Sister
Early on in their careers, Walsh and writer Nancy Pimental worked as waitresses and quickly became best friends. They stood by each other as they navigated the crazy dating scene that is Hollywood. Pimental wrote up those romantic adventures and mishaps into a screenplay that turned into the comedy The Sweetest Thing , which starred Cameron Diaz and Selma Blair as the characters that were based on Walsh and Pimental. Walsh even shot the above short video as a funny DVD extra for movie. Today, Pimental is a writer and producer on the Showtime series Shameless.
A Whirlwind Marriage
After dating publicly for four months in 2007, Walsh married 20th Century Fox movie exec Alex Young. Unfortunately, their wedded bliss didn't last much longer than the courtship — Young and Walsh both filed divorce papers nearly a year later. "I don't think anyone gets married thinking that they will get divorced," Walsh told Redbook magazine in 2009 after her divorce. "Alex and I still care for each other, and I wish him nothing but the best."
Back in the Game
After her divorce, Walsh dated underwater specialist Neil Andrea in 2009. She met her current beau Case through friends in 2011 and they've been together ever since. Case has two sons and it looks like Walsh adores spending time with them. In 2011, she told More magazine that she "felt like a loser" for not having kids. "I would definitely love to be a parent," Walsh said. "But I definitely don't think I want to do it on my own. I thought I'd be married and have three or four kids."
Well, it looks like Walsh found the family life she's been looking for.
Images: Getty Images; katewalsh/Instagram
