Vanna White Says “Surprise!” as She Marries Longtime Love John Donaldson

Jan 27, 2026 by apost team

For years, Vanna White spoke of her relationship with John Donaldson as already complete, even without a wedding. The longtime “Wheel of Fortune” star was open about why marriage was never a pressing goal for the couple, despite their more than a decade together. 

In a conversation with PEOPLE in October 2023, White explained that the bond they shared already felt permanent: “I mean, we’ve been together 12 years, and I feel like we are married.” She said at the time, “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.”

White added that the subject of marriage rarely came up between them. “We don’t really talk about it, but you never know,” she said. “I mean, I guess we could, but in my eyes and his eyes, we are married.” That sense of ease and certainty was something she had spoken about consistently over the years, often describing Donaldson as someone who simply fit into her life without complication. “It just works,” she once said. “He lets me be me, I let him be him. There is no drama in our relationship.”

The two first met in 2012, when a mutual friend introduced Donaldson, a real estate developer, to one of White’s barbecues. White later recalled being immediately drawn to him. “I remember looking at him and thinking, ‘He’s really cute,’” she said, adding that they spent hours talking that night. White has also shared that one reason their relationship endured was their shared similarity. She once described Donaldson as “the male version” of herself, noting, “We really are very similar.”

Both White and Donaldson had been married before. White was previously married to restaurateur George Santo Pietro from 1990 to 2002, and they share two children, Nicholas “Nikko” Santo Pietro and Giovanna “Gigi” Santo Pietro. For White, the years with Donaldson were defined by stability, comfort, and the quiet confidence that they were already life partners, with or without a ceremony. 

That long-held sense of commitment quietly turned into something official. On Jan. 21, 2025, White surprised fans by announcing that she and Donaldson had tied the knot. The 68-year-old television icon shared the news on Instagram, alongside a photo from their wedding day, revealing that the ceremony was held privately. White wrote in the caption:

“Surprise! We got married!”

She followed the announcement with a message that reflected both the length of their relationship and the intention behind keeping the moment intimate:

“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. We’re excited to share this new, joyful chapter in our lives with all of you! Love, Vanna and John.”

The announcement resonated with longtime fans who had followed White’s journey and her candid reflections on love, partnership, and timing. Rather than a whirlwind romance or a highly publicized engagement, White and Donaldson’s marriage felt like a natural extension of a relationship that had already stood the test of time. After more than a decade together, she and Donaldson stepped into this new chapter not as a dramatic shift, but as a continuation of a partnership they had already built, now sealed with vows and shared openly with the world.

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Are you a fan of Vanna White? What can you say about her recent marriage to longtime love, John Donaldson? Isn’t it lovely? Let us know, and pass this on to your family, friends, and other loved ones out there!