When it comes to lasting Hollywood marriages, David Eigenberg and his wife Chrysti are the real deal. The Chicago Fire and Sex and the City star may play tough, loyal, and occasionally hot-headed characters on screen, but off-screen, he’s a devoted husband and father whose love story sounds straight out of a movie.
Love at First Sight — in the Wake of 9/11
David and Chrysti’s story began in 2001, in one of the most turbulent times in recent history. Chrysti, a former U.S. Army specialist, had been activated from reserve duty and was working on homeland security in Virginia. That’s when fate — and timing — stepped in.
“We met right after 9/11,” David told The Day in 2021. “She’d been activated from [Army] reserve duty and was doing homeland security down in Virginia. I met her; it just hit me. That had never happened to me before. It just hit me at the core.”
Just a year later, in 2002, they tied the knot. As David put it, “We got married real quick — not because she was pregnant or anything — but because I knew she was the girl.”
Holding On Through the Hardships
In a business where relationships often crumble under pressure, David and Chrysti have built their marriage on patience, honesty, and humor. The actor once told CosmoTV that the secret to their success lies in communication — and a willingness to weather the storms.
“The only way that relationships go forward is that they have gravity,” he said. “And that only comes with seeing through the hardship. I fight with my wife, we fight for things, but I think everybody wants to be heard.”
Two decades later, that “gravity” has kept them grounded — through career highs, parenting challenges, and the day-to-day chaos of family life.
A Family Man at Heart
Beyond the firehouse and TV fame, David’s proudest role is being a dad. He and Chrysti share two children — Louie Steven, born in 2009, and Myrna Belle, born in 2014.
“My children are the gift that I never dreamed of happening,” he said, reflecting on how fatherhood changed him.
While the actor keeps his family life private, he occasionally shares glimpses of his gratitude online. On his 60th birthday in May, David posted a touching photo to Instagram showing a nostalgic gift from his wife and kids — a Cuddly Dudley puppet, a beloved TV character from his childhood in Chicago.
“Well I hit 60,” he wrote, “and my beautiful daughter and son and wife tracked this guy down for my old sentimental heart… I truly am [so] lucky and grateful… blessed.”
A Love That Endures
After 22 years of marriage, David and Chrysti’s love continues to shine — not with Hollywood glitz, but with authenticity and devotion. Between filming Chicago Fire in their hometown and raising two kids, the Eigenbergs have found the perfect balance of work, love, and family life.
For an actor whose characters often face danger and loss, David’s real-life story offers something far rarer — a happily ever after built on strength, faith, and the kind of love that only grows deeper with time.
