The Real Reason Pat Sajak And Vanna White Never Dated

Celebrity couples are fascinating. They're often either full of drama or madly in love — there's no in-between. From Cardi B and Offset to Chrissy Teigen and John Legend, they frequently turn their love into trending topics. Then there are celebrity pairings who you might think are romantically involved, but aren't actually. Among them are Wheel of Fortune hosts, Pat Sajak and Vanna White.

The duo has hosted the game show since 1981 (via History) and been through ups and downs on the show. White had to fill in for Sajak for the first time ever when he had to have emergency surgery for a blocked intestine in December 2019. At the time, White said she was "excited" and "nervous" about the experience, per CNN.

Sajak and White's 40-year partnership has lasted longer than many celebrity marriages, and with them having spent so much time together throughout the years, many have wondered why they've never dated.

With Pat Sajak and Vanna White possessing undeniable chemistry on screen, it would be easy for viewers to mistake them for a couple. The truth is, both have been married twice, but never to each other. The reason? They see each other as friends and family, not lovers.

"People see the chemistry between Pat and me," White told Closer Weekly in 2019. "We are like brother and sister, and I think that is what makes it work." Sajak added that their friendship is like "lightning in a bottle," and they're so friendly that White said they've "never had one argument."

Their unwavering commitment to each other is what has made Wheel of Fortune so popular — so much so that Sajak said that he will only work with White until the show ends. "My goal is to leave before people turn on the TV and go, 'What the hell happened to him?'" Sajak joked on stage at Paley Center for Media in 2017 via Entertainment Weekly. "I can't imagine being there with someone else."

Besides treating each other like family, Pat Sajak and Vanna White are also in relationships with other people.

According to People, Sajak was first married to Sherill Sajak in 1979, but they divorced after seven years. While "fresh [off that] divorce," he met aspiring actress Lesly Brown at a sports bar in 1998, according to Closer Weekly. The two got married in 1989 and went on to have two children together — son Patrick Leonard Michael James Sajdak Jr. in 1990 and daughter Maggie Marie Sajak in 1995, via Oprah Magazine.

White, on the other hand, was first engaged to Young and the Restless actor John Gibson, who was tragically killed in a plane crash in 1986, per People. White has said his death was "devastating," but she was grateful for Wheel of Fortune fans for helping her overcome her grief. "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 said.

In 1990, White married restaurateur George Santo Pietro, but they filed for divorce in 2002. Since then, White has been in a few relationships and has been dating contractor John Donaldson since 2012.