Tragic Details About Vanna White

For more than 40 years, TV personality Vanna White has held what is arguably the cushiest job in show business: turning over letters as contestants solve the Hangman-style word puzzles on "Wheel of Fortune." Being a part of one of television's most-watched and enduringly popular game shows has not only come to define her career it has made her one of the most beloved personalities on television. Part of an on-air team alongside Pat Sajak (until his retirement in 2024), White remained with the show after his exit. Her 2023 contract renegotiation resulted in a new deal that ensured she'll turn letters through to the 2025-2026 season, now teamed with new "Wheel of Fortune" host Ryan Seacrest. 

From the outside looking in, it would seem that this attractive, successful star has it all. Yet peeling back the curtain for a closer look reveals her life hasn't necessarily been as sunny as fans may have believed. In fact, the wide smile that greets "Wheel of Fortune" viewers conceals the reality that she's faced some dark and truly heartbreaking moments of her life. 

Whatever's come her way, though, White has managed to overcome each obstacle. "Today I am happy just the way things are," she revealed in an interview with Closer, while a friend told the magazine that she's a lot more resilient than viewers probably realize. "Vanna is a fighter and she's emotionally stronger than she might appear to the public," the source added. To find out more about that particular aspect of her life, read on to discover some tragic details about Vanna White.

Vanna White was born in 1957. When she was still a baby, her parents divorced; her mother, Joan, remarried, and the youngster was raised by her mom and stepfather Herbert White Jr. As a young woman, White's stunning appearance led her into the world of beauty pageants and modeling, and she was well on her way to establishing herself within that milieu by her early 20s. 

It was during this formative time in White's career, however, that she struggled to break through as an actor in Hollywood. After relocating to L.A. in 1979, White's career was beginning to take off when she learned some devastating news: her mother had been diagnosed with ovarian cancer. White made a brief return to her hometown in North Carolina to visit her ailing mother before returning to Los Angeles. White was just 23 years old when the disease took her mother from her.

Over the years, White has honored her late mom by harnessing one of her favorite hobbies as a way to earn money for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, funding its mission to one day eliminate childhood cancer. As White has revealed, she loves to crochet and launched her own line of yarn — Vanna's Choice — that donates half of the proceeds earned to St. Jude. "Having grown up in the South, it reminds me of my roots," White said in an interview for the hospital's website. "My mother passed away from cancer, and many of my family members have had cancer ... I'm happy to do my part to help St. Jude help children get healthy."

Vanna White's life changed forever on October 5, 1982, the day she auditioned for "Wheel of Fortune." Just a few years later, she was on top of the world, having become a bona fide TV star via her integral role on a hit game show. Meanwhile, she was also enjoying happiness in her personal life, having recently become engaged to fiancé John Gibson, an up-and-coming actor known for roles in "The Young and the Restless" and other television series.

In May 1986, the plane in which Gibson was flying crashed. He did not survive. "The second I heard about it, I fell to my knees. It was just devastating," White told People when recalling Gibson's tragic death. As White told Closer, her personal heartbreak came during a period of huge professional success for her. "I was at the pinnacle of Vanna-mania when this tragically happened," she said of the devastating loss she experienced.

As White told People, it was the efforts of all those "Wheel of Fortune" viewers who reached out to her during that time of pain that were instrumental in coping with the intense grief she was experiencing. "I heard from so many people who had shared the same experience of losing someone instantly in an accident, and that really helped me," she explained. "I didn't feel like I was alone. Because when something like that happens, you immediately think you're the only one."

When young Vanna White relocated to Los Angeles to pursue a career in the entertainment industry, success was not immediate. Like most aspiring actors who head to Hollywood seeking fame and fortune, those early months were characterized by struggle. "When I first moved to Hollywood, I was too embarrassed to ask my dad for rent money. I was young and I wanted to do it on my own," she recalled in an interview with The Washington Post. When she learned of an opportunity to pose semi-nude for risqué photos, she saw a chance to pay her rent without involving her stepfather. "So, I did these lingerie shots and from the moment I said I would do them, I thought, 'I shouldn't be doing this, but I'm not going to ask my dad for money, so I'm just going to do it!'" she said.

In 1987, at the height of her "Wheel of Fortune" fame, those long-forgotten photos wound up in the hands of Playboy publisher Hugh Hefner. Hef published those photos, even putting one of them on the cover of Playboy — which not only ruined his friendship with White, but left her publicly humiliated and fearful that she'd be fired from "Wheel of Fortune. "I did not want them on there, but it happened," she said, remembering that she apologized to fans when she appeared on Johnny Carson's "Tonight Show," explaining why and when she'd posed for those shots. "And this is a lesson that applies today: Never do anything that you don't want to do," she explained. "Listen to your instincts and follow it ... I did something I shouldn't have done."

It took time, but Vanna White was gradually able to move on with her life after the death of her fiancé, John Gibson. She eventually began dating George Santo Pietro, to whom she became engaged. In December 1990, the two obtained a marriage license in Aspen, Colorado, walking down the aisle in a New Year's Eve ceremony. The TV star and the restaurateur wasted little time starting a family; during a 1992 episode of "Wheel of Fortune," she announced that she and San Pietro were expecting their first child when a contestant solved a puzzle that read, "Vanna's pregnant." "I so wanted to be pregnant and have a baby, so then when I finally got pregnant, I wanted to tell the world immediately," she told People.

Sadly, days after taping that episode, White suffered a miscarriage. According to White's spokesperson, the miscarriage came early on in the pregnancy, and she was otherwise healthy. "Vanna told me there's always a reason for things happening," her stepfather, Herbert White Jr., told the Orlando Sentinel. "She's taking it well; Vanna's a trouper, and she said she'll be trying again."

Losing her first pregnancy after publicly sharing the news with "Wheel of Fortune" viewers had clearly left her wounded. "Obviously, I lost the baby, which was devastating after announcing it," White recalled. "But losing a child — there's nothing good about that," she reflected. 

After her 1987 miscarriage, Vanna White eventually became pregnant. She and her husband, George Santo Pietro, welcomed two children: son Nikko, born in 1994, and daughter Giovanna, who arrived in 1997. It wasn't long after the birth of their second kid, however, that rumors of Santo Pietro's infidelity emerged; a 1999 feature in the National Enquirer, reported Page Six, claimed that White had caught "the 52-year-old Lothario" cheating with a model, 23-year-old Tanya Abayan. 

The following year, a report in The Observer claimed that Santo Pietro had just plunked down nearly $10 million for a Manhattan penthouse. White's lawyer told the outlet that White would not be moving into the place. Then, in 2001, the cover of supermarket tabloid The Star claimed that divorce was imminent, declaring, "Vanna: My $20M Divorce," alluding to cheating and lies, while also claiming Santo Pietro would not be receiving a dime in their divorce settlement. While White has never officially confirmed those rumors, conclusions could be drawn when she filed for divorce in June 2002, seeking to end her marriage after 11 years. Citing irreconcilable differences, she sought joint custody of their children. 

According to the National Enquirer, White tried to take the high road during difficult circumstances. "George broke Vanna's heart when he cheated on her with a young Filipino model after 10 years of marriage," a source told the tabloid in 2005. "Although she was humiliated by George's behavior, Vanna acted with dignity and never said a word against him because of their kids."

As a recently divorced mother of two, Vanna White did not stay single for long. In 2002, she began dating Michael Kaye, a businessman from Orange County, California. As the New York Post reported in 2004, White shared a big announcement using the "Wheel of Fortune" letters — via a publicity photo — to reveal that she and Kaye had gotten engaged. Over the next couple of years, the relationship appeared to be right on track; in 2005, the National Enquirer reported that the two had set a wedding date in April of 2006.

Yet when April 2006 finally rolled around, there were no signs of an imminent wedding. However, the relationship appeared to be fine, with Kaye photographed giving White a big kiss as she received a star on the fabled Hollywood Walk of Fame. Sadly, White and Kaye never did make it down the aisle; before the end of the year, they'd called off the engagement and gone their separate ways.

While ending a marriage after more than a decade and then subsequently breaking an engagement were certainly sad occasions for White, those experiences also proved to be instructive for her. "Don't be in a relationship because you're lonely, because if you're not happy, you're still lonely," she told People in 2023, revealing what she'd learned from those past romances. "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."

Vanna White's stepfather, Herbert White Jr., has played an important role in her life. While not her biological father, he's been the primary paternal figure in her life when she was a child. After her mother's death in 2024, the "Wheel of Fortune" star grew even closer to the man she's always called her father. During a June 2021 edition of "Wheel," White revealed he was 95. "I call him every morning to say good morning, and that I love him," she said while chatting with Pat Sajak. "Yes, he's special." She made that abundantly clear later that same month when she tweeted a photo kissing her dad on the cheek, wishing him a happy Father's Day.

White took to social media with some heartbreaking news to share the following year. "It is with great sadness that I tell you my 96-year-old dad passed away peacefully this morning," she tweeted. "He lived a full and happy life and will be remembered as one of the kindest and most wonderful human beings of North Myrtle Beach. I love you so much dad. RIP."

In much the same way that fans consoled her after the death of fiancé John Gibson, they also shared their sympathy via social media. "Sending my deepest condolences and prayers for you and your family. May your memories keep him close in your hearts," tweeted one fan, while another wrote, "The love between you radiates, and I know your dad will be a part of you forever."

Loyal fans of "Wheel of Fortune" certainly had a lot to contemplate when longtime host Pat Sajak announced he'd be retiring from the show. While they faced the prospect of saying goodbye to the genial TV personality who'd been greeting viewers in each episode since the early 1980s, his departure hit Vanna White on a far deeper level.

When the time finally came for Sajak to tape his final episode, White grew emotional. "I can't believe that tomorrow is our last show together," White said in a video message to Sajak, her eyes brimming with tears as she ruminated on the passage of time that had brought them to that point. "Eight thousand episodes went by like that," she added, snapping her fingers to punctuate her point.

As White continued to pay tribute to her on-air partner of more than four decades, those tears streamed down her cheeks. "What an incredible and unforgettable journey we've had and I've enjoyed every minute of it with you," she said. "As this chapter of our lives is coming to an end, I know you'll still be close by. You're like a brother to me and I consider you a true lifelong friend who I will always adore." She signed off by simply stating, "I love you Pat."

While Pat Sajak exited "Wheel of Fortune" in 2024, his retirement wasn't as definitive as some believed. In fact, he continued to host the ABC network's primetime celebrity version (originally scheduled to debut in October, it was delayed until sometime in 2025). And while that will almost certainly be Sajak's swan song, Vanna White will remain with the show until 2026, sharing the studio with new host Ryan Seacrest. "When I heard that Pat was retiring, I thought maybe I should retire too," she told TV Insider. "But I'm not ready! We'll see toward the end of those two years how I feel. I thank God after all these years that I still love my job."

To quote the late George Harrison, all things must pass, and there will come a time when White will no longer be a part of the show — which, despite its longevity, shows no signs of being canceled any time soon. While that inevitable day will someday come, White has admitted that she prefers to banish that thought of her eventual departure from the show. "That's depressing," she admitted in a 2022 interview with People, before Sajak's retirement announcement. "I don't even want to think about it."

In fact, White also divulged she has a difficult time even imagining someone else in the role. "We've been in everybody's homes for 40 years, so it would be weird having somebody else turn my letters," she added.