Vanna White has spun the wheel of love and officially bought herself a vow after marrying John Donaldson in a surprise wedding.
“Surprise! We got married! ❤️,” White, 68, announced via Instagram on Wednesday, January 21. “John and I have been in love for more than a decade and a little while back, we wanted to make it official in a private ceremony.”
The newlyweds added, “We’re excited to share this new joyful chapter in our lives with all of you! Love, Vanna and John.”
White and Donaldson were together 13 years before they tied the knot, which is a shock to some as the Wheel of Fortune letter-turner revealed just last month that the pair had no plans to walk down the aisle anytime soon.
“We’re very happy,” White told E! News in December 2025 about her and Donaldson’s relationship. “We’ve been together for a long time and we are just happy the way it is.”
White noted that after being together more than a decade she and the real estate developer weren’t hung up on their marital status.
“Maybe people want to see us get married,” she said, but explained, “When you’ve been with someone for so long, you kind of feel like you’re already married. You don’t have to have that piece of paper.”
Prior to walking down the aisle with Donaldson, White was married to film producer George Santo Pietro from 1990 to 2002. The exes share two children, son Nikko, 31, and daughter Gigi, 28.
A decade after her divorce, White met Donaldson through a mutual friend at a barbecue and the pair began dating in 2012.
“I remember looking at him and thinking, ‘He’s really cute,’” White told People in October 2019 of meeting Donaldson. “We ended up talking for a long time that night.”
A few years later, White addressed the topic of marriage, telling People in October 2023, “I feel like we are married. Do we have to get married? No, because we feel comfortable in our relationship. You know what I mean? I know that he’s the one. He knows I’m the one.”
Vanna White, John Donaldson and her two children. Courtesy of Vanna White/Instagram
The TV personality said she was confident in her and Donaldson’s relationship and shared her best piece of advice for a lasting romance.
“Don’t be in a relationship because you’re lonely, because if you’re not happy, you’re still lonely,” White revealed. “Just be who you are, and don’t let anybody change who you are. It’s nice when they make you feel good about yourself, or they love who you are as a person and don’t want to change you. It’s got to be easy.”
When it comes to her and Donaldson’s dynamic, she told the outlet, “We get along so well. He’s easy. He’s easy, and he lets me be me, and I let him be him.”
Outside of her love life, White has made headlines about her career over the past few years, especially after Pat Sajak’s exit from Wheel of Fortune left her gig on the show in limbo.
White worked alongside Sajak, 79, beginning in 1983. Sajak announced in June 2023 that his final season would begin that September.
Rumors surfaced around that time that White would be leaving the game show alongside Sajak, but Us Weekly confirmed that wasn’t the case.
“There’s no truth to the rumors that with Pat’s retirement, Wheel of Fortune plans on eliminating Vanna in any way, shape or form,” an insider close to production explained in summer 2023. “They’re currently in negotiations with Vanna.”
Sony Pictures Television announced in September 2023 that White signed a two-year contract extension for the 2025-2026 season. White began her letter-turning duties alongside Sajak’s replacement, Ryan Seacrest, in September 2024.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.usmagazine.com ’
