‘Wheel of Fortune’: Vanna White Posted Rare Photo of Son Ahead of Contract Standoff

Vanna White never shies away from showing the love for her son, recently honoring him on his 29th birthday. The Wheel of Fortune her latest rare snap of Nikko Santo Pietro for the special occasion, all while contract discussions loomed on the horizon over the show and she prepares to temporarily step away from her Wheel job.

“Happy 29th Birthday” to the most amazing son a mother could ever have! I love you!” White wrote in the caption of the snap, catching her son at his slickest in a tuxedo. “Love you mom,” he responds a few hours later.

It has become a sweet tradition between mother and son, but it also extends to his larger Wheel of Fortune family. He’s gotten well wishes from host Pat Sajak and his daughter Maggie in the past, with the pair even sharing a fun moment back in May during an episode where they appear alongside their parents.

Maggie Sajak even interviewed Santo Pietro during a segment on the show’s social media page. “We have known each other my whole life,” she said during the chat. “It’s been a long time,” he added.

They also had a moment where Sajak’s mother urges Nikko to plant a kiss on her daughter’s cheek, leading to a hit in the face. As the two famous kids explain, sharing a look at a moment from their childhood when the same scenario played out and the hit was real.

“I would like to apologize,” Sajak joked, with White’s son adding how it affected him. “That’s the reason why I never tried to kiss you on the cheek again.” Sajak responded by saying they dodged a bullet. It’s a cute moment overall, especially when you toss in all the motherly love coming from White’s direction.

Nikko Santo Pietro is White’s son from her marriage to George Santo Pietro from 1990 until 2002. White and Santo Pietro started dating shortly before getting married, getting pregnant two years later but suffering a miscarriage soon after announcing the news.

Nikko Santo Pietro is the eldest of the couple’s children, with daughter Giovanna “Gigi” Santo Pietro arriving in 1997. White and Santo Pietro divorced in 2002 after 12 years of marriage.