Dawn Bailey-Grimes is best known as the first wife of actor and singer Scott Grimes. They married on May 5, 1997, and had two children, Madison and Jackson. By November 2007, they were divorced. Even after the split, they shared custody and lived only a few blocks apart.
In this article, you’ll learn about Dawn Bailey-Grimes’ family, marriage, children, and life after divorce. You’ll also see how her story fits into Scott’s rise on TV. Her story is a quiet family chapter shaped by marriage, two children, and a life that moved away from the spotlight.
Dawn Bailey-Grimes at a Glance
Dawn became known to the public through Scott Grimes. He had worked as an actor since childhood and later became known for Party of Five, Band of Brothers, ER, American Dad! and The Orville.
She did not build the same kind of public career. Her public story comes mainly from her family connection to Scott and the years when they sometimes appeared together.
Her full name has appeared as Dawn Marie Bailey-Grimes. A 2010 Virginian-Pilot obituary for her father, Thomas Bailey, named Dawn Marie Bailey-Grimes as one of his children. It also named Madison and Jackson Grimes among his grandchildren.
The notice named Marie Ballard as the mother of Dawn and Thomas Bailey. It gives a clear link to her Bailey family roots, while much of Dawn’s childhood and early adult life remains private.
Her Marriage to Scott Grimes
Scott married Dawn Bailey on May 5, 1997. By then, his acting career had already been running for years. He had worked in film and TV and was appearing on Party of Five.
The next few years were busy for the family. Scott’s career kept growing while the couple became parents.
In 2001, he played Donald Malarkey in HBO’s Band of Brothers. He later joined ER as Dr. Archie Morris. In 2005, he began voicing Steve Smith on American Dad!.
That timeline matters because Dawn was beside him during a key part of his career. Their home life was growing at the same time as his name was reaching more TV viewers.
Dawn also joined Scott at some public events. Getty Images photographs show them at the Los Angeles premiere of Band of Brothers in August 2001, when she was pregnant. They were also photographed together at a lupus benefit in Beverly Hills in October 2003.
Those moments show that she was part of his public life during the marriage. She did not, however, turn those appearances into a public entertainment career of her own.
Madison and Jackson Grimes
Dawn Bailey-Grimes and Scott have two children. Their daughter is Madison Grimes, and their son is Jackson Richard Grimes.
Madison was born in 1999. She had a few acting credits while she was young. IMDb lists work in Without a Trace, Pearly Gates, and the Tori Amos video for Taxi Ride.
Jackson was born in 2001 and has stayed much farther from entertainment coverage.
A 2019 UPI report again tied both children to Dawn and Scott. It called Scott the father of daughter Madison and son Jackson with Bailey-Grimes. At the time, Madison was 19 and Jackson was 17.
The family link is clear. Dawn and Scott were not just a Hollywood couple. They were parents raising two children while Scott worked through a very active stretch of his career.
A Rare Look at Their Co-Parenting
The clearest public look at their life after divorce came in 2007. It was not a red carpet story. It was a normal morning at Scott’s home.
A Ventura County Star writer spoke with Scott at his Woodland Hills house. Before the interview, Scott was cleaning a bathroom and trying not to wake his young son and daughter.
Then came a detail that says a lot about the family. Scott shared custody with Dawn, who lived only a few blocks away.
He said he would have liked them to live across the street from each other if that had been possible. His reason was simple: it would have made life easier for their children.
That detail gives a clear picture of life after the marriage. The two homes were close enough to make shared parenting practical, and the children stayed at the center of day-to-day plans.
The November 2007 article called Dawn Scott’s ex-wife and said their divorce had become final the previous year. Some entertainment databases list 2007 as the end of the marriage, so the dates do not line up perfectly.
What is clear is that they married in 1997 and were divorced by November 2007. At that point, they were sharing custody of Madison and Jackson.
Why Did the Marriage End?
Neither Dawn nor Scott has given a widely reported, detailed explanation for why their marriage ended.
There is no clear public account that places the split on one event or one person. The marriage ended, but the private reasons have stayed private.
In 2007, Scott focused on the children rather than conflict with his former wife. He spoke about living close to Dawn so parenting would be easier.
That does not tell us why the marriage ended. It does show what mattered in their family life after it ended.
Dawn’s Link to Hollywood
Dawn Bailey-Grimes was close to Hollywood through her husband, but that is not the same as having a Hollywood career.
No established acting, comedy, producing, or TV career is attached to her name. Her public connection to the industry came through Scott and the family they built together.
She attended some events with him during their marriage. Their daughter also had a few early screen credits.
Her public identity has remained centered on family rather than a screen career.
Her Family Roots
Dawn Bailey-Grimes’ father, Thomas Bailey, died in 2010. His obituary gives one of the clearest records of her family.
It names her as Dawn Marie Bailey-Grimes. It also lists Madison and Jackson as his grandchildren. Marie Ballard is named as the mother of Dawn and Thomas Bailey.
The notice links the family to the Norfolk, Virginia area. It gives a useful piece of her background without turning a short family record into a full childhood story.
Dawn’s exact birth date, school years, and early jobs have not been widely documented. Those parts of her life have stayed private.
Dawn Bailey-Grimes Today
Dawn Bailey-Grimes has kept a low public profile since the divorce.
What is clear is her place in the family story. She is the mother of Madison and Jackson and Scott’s first wife. She was also part of his life during a major period in his career.
As the children grew up, public coverage stayed focused on Scott’s work. Dawn did not keep appearing in entertainment news at the same pace.
Scott Grimes After Dawn
Scott kept working after the marriage ended. ER remained a major role for him through 2009. His voice work on American Dad! also continued.
He later became known to another group of viewers through The Orville. More recently, he has appeared in Ted.
His later personal life also drew press coverage. He married Megan Moore after his marriage to Dawn. He later married his The Orville co-star Adrianne Palicki.
Those later relationships belong to Scott’s timeline. Dawn’s lasting link to him is different. She is the first wife with whom he built a family and raised his two children.
Age, Career and Net Worth
Dawn Bailey-Grimes’ exact age is not publicly established because a dependable birth date has not been widely published.
A current profession is also not clearly documented. Her best-known public role remains her place in the Grimes family rather than a job in film or television.
There is no dependable public figure for her personal net worth either. Her finances have not been a regular subject of major media coverage.
The family facts are much clearer. She married Scott on May 5, 1997, and they share Madison and Jackson.
The divorce timeline needs a little care. The 2007 Ventura County Star interview said the divorce had become final the previous year, while some databases use 2007. By late 2007, there is no doubt that they were divorced.
Why Her Name Still Draws Interest
Scott Grimes has worked across several eras of TV. That keeps bringing new viewers to his life story.
Some fans first knew him from Party of Five. Others found him through Band of Brothers or ER. Younger viewers may know his voice from American Dad! or his work on The Orville.
When people look into his family, Dawn’s name appears early. She was with him before some of those best-known roles and during others.
There is also something unusual about her story. She did not turn a marriage to a known actor into a public brand.
The strongest detail may be the simplest. Years after the wedding, and after the marriage had ended, the two parents lived only blocks apart and shared custody.
Final Thoughts
Dawn Bailey-Grimes is Scott Grimes’ first wife and the mother of Madison and Jackson. They married in 1997 and built a family while Scott’s TV career grew. By November 2007, they were divorced.
The clearest view of their life after the split comes from Scott himself. He said they shared custody, lived only a few blocks apart, and wanted to make things easier for their children.
Dawn’s life today is much less public. Her exact age, current job, net worth, and relationship status are not well documented. What remains clear is her place in the Grimes family and the years she shared with Scott as his career moved into some of its best-known roles.
If you enjoy family stories connected to the Band of Brothers cast, read our profile of Xavier Alexander Wahlberg, Donnie Wahlberg’s son.
