‘Wheel of Fortune’ Fan Asks Vanna White Who the Man Is in Her New Family, 2020 Photo

Vanna White’s New Year’s Eve post on social media had a few fans scratching their heads as they tried to remember her family structure. The photo showed White with her two adult children, Nicholas and Giovanna, as well as her boyfriend, John Donaldson. Fans responded with curiosity about White’s family dynamic.

White wished her followers a Happy New Year this week with an enviable photo of her vacation scenery. The Wheel of Fortune stood arm-in-arm with Giovanna on one side and Donaldson on the other, with Nicholas beside him. All four wore flower lei necklaces, and they stood on a scenic resort somewhere.

Giovanna and Nicholas come from White’s previous marriage to businessman George Santo Pietro, but they divorced shortly after having their kids. She then got into a dedicated relationship with Donaldson, and it is clear that they are a tight “family unit” with her kids.

Donaldson is the president of a construction development company called JDC Construction + Development Group. Santo Pietro, meanwhile, was a restaurant owner, so it makes sense that fans do not know what either of them look like off the tops of their heads. In the comments and replies to her New Year’s Eve post, many fans asked if it was Santo Pietro or Donaldson in this photo.

It turns out it is Donaldson, though to be fair it makes sense that fans were confused. White rarely shares photos of her family on social media, and as a result Donaldson and Santo Pietro have often been mixed up in reports over the years. White and Santo Pietro shared equal custody of their children after their divorce in 2002, but Santo Pietro seems to have bowed out of the public spotlight for the most part.

These days, White is in the headlines a lot for changing up her work on Wheel of Fortune for the first time in years. Starting last month, she took over her co-host Pat Sajak’s duties for the first time while he was out on medical leave.

Fans loved to see White taking on something new, especially on a show with a format that has been static for so long. This week, Sajak is out again, and White returns to his place on the other side of the game show set. She will host each night this week from Jan. 6 to Jan. 10. Sajak will return to the show for good on Monday, Jan. 13.

Wheel of Fortune airs weeknights at 7:30 p.m. ET.