‘Wheel of Fortune’: Meet Vanna White’s Family, Longtime Boyfriend John Donaldson

Wheel of Fortune fans got a rare look at Vanna White‘s family this week, and now many are curious about her home life. The 62-year-old has two children and a long-time boyfriend, and the four of them looked happy together on New Year’s Eve. Here is a look at White’s idyllic family.

TV fans know White as the hostess of Wheel of Fortune — a job she has held for just over 37 years now. White’s personal life has rarely made it onto the screen, and even when it has it has sometimes ended badly.

In 1992, White announced her pregnancy on Wheel of Fortune as a part of a gag on-screen. The answer to a puzzle turned out to be “Vanna’s pregnant.” Sadly, White suffered a miscarriage soon after, and she did not put her family life on TV again.

White also dated Playgirl model and Chippendales dancer John Gibson in the 1980s, and was even engaged to him before he passed away in a tragic plane crash. After that, she got together with the father of her children, George Santo Pietro.

White has done plenty of prominent work both on and off screen, from philanthropy for a children’s hospital to an endorsement deal with a yarn company. This year, she hit another big milestone when she took over for her Wheel of Fortune co-host Pat Sajak while he was on medical leave. White take over the job for one more week starting on Monday, until Sajak returns on Jan. 13.

In the meantime, here is what we know about White’s family life behind the scenes.

George Santo Pietro

White married restaurant owner George Santo Pietro in December of 1990. Together, they had a son named Nicholas in 1994 and a daughter named Giovanna in 1997. The couple stayed out of the public spotlight where they could, although they did attend public events together. Finally, they split in 2002, sharing equal custody of their kids.

Children

White and her Children are close to this day, as evidenced by her Instagram story. They spend a lot of time together, taking trips and having family parties throughout the year. In 2019 they spent lots of time in New York, and also traveled to France for Nicholas’ birthday.

Single Life

It is not clear how long White was a single mother before finding herself with Donaldson. After her divorce in 2002, she had a relationship with businessman Michael Kaye. They were even engaged from 2004 to 2006, when they ultimately broke it off. However, recent posts make it clear that she considers them one big family.

John Donaldson

However and whenever they ended up together, White is now in a long-term relationship with Donaldson, the president of JDC Construction + Development Group. Donaldson specializes in residential property in California — a perfect fit for White’s lifestyle. In 2016, White told Closer Weekly that she was drawn to Donaldson for his kindness and his quiet nature.

“He is kind, understanding and lets me be me,” she said. “The biggest surprise to my fans is probably how simple I live in real life. I’m a real down-to-earth girl. I usually spend my days without makeup, wearing tennis shoes. I love the outdoors. I love waking up early when it’s quiet, going out on the balcony to hear the birds sing.”

Construction

Donaldson is passionate about the construction industry, moving up from a simple labor position to a company president. He has also worked on big celebrity homes in California, including residences for Richard Dreyfuss, Dan Akroyd, Martin Mull and others.

Real Estate

Donaldson’s work is a perfect match for White, who shares his passion for real estate. In 2018, she revealed that she has some big real estate holdings which help make use of her income from Wheel of Fortune.

“I’ve used my income to invest in some apartment buildings, and I like flipping houses,” she told Market Watch at the time.

Future

White recently told Closer Weekly that she is in no rush to get married or take any other steps with Donaldson unless it would somehow impact their happiness.

“We’ve been together for eight years and it seems to be working so we’re both happy, so in my eyes, I feel — in both of our eyes — we feel married,” White explained. “So I don’t think you necessarily have to have a piece of paper unless you want to. Everybody’s different, so for each his own.”

As for her career, she sees herself retiring from TV eventually and focusing on her charity work, particularly with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

“After I retire, I will probably do something philanthropic,” she told Market Watch. “If I could do it [work] forever, I would, because I do love my job.”

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