White shared the news on Instagram on Wednesday, posting joyful photos of the couple. In the images, Donaldson is seen carrying White as she wears a simple white dress. “Surprise! We got married!” she wrote.
In a longer message, White explained that the couple chose to make their commitment official in a private ceremony. “John and I have been in love for more than a decade and a little while back, we wanted to make it official,” she shared. “We’re excited to share this new joyful chapter in our lives with all of you.”
The post also included throwback photos from their long relationship, offering fans a rare glimpse into the couple’s life together.
Fans and friends quickly flooded the comments with congratulations. Among them was Maggie Sajak, the daughter of former Wheel of Fortune host Pat Sajak.
White and Donaldson first met in 2012, when a friend brought Donaldson to a barbecue White was hosting. In a 2019 interview with People, White recalled their first meeting. “I remember looking at him and thinking, ‘He’s really cute,’” she said. “We ended up talking for a long time that night.”
Despite public interest, the couple largely kept their relationship private and never felt rushed to marry. Just last month, White told E! News that they still felt like they were in the “honeymoon phase.”
“We’re very happy,” she said at the time. “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.”
Both White and Donaldson have been married before. White was previously married to restaurateur George Santo Pietro from 1990 to 2002. They share two children: Nicholas “Nikko” Santo Pietro, 31, and Giovanna “Gigi” Santo Pietro, 28.
The wedding news comes as White approaches a major career milestone — nearly 45 years as a co-host on Wheel of Fortune. After Pat Sajak stepped down in 2024, Ryan Seacrest took over hosting duties, sparking questions about White’s future on the show.
White addressed those concerns by signing a two-year contract extension in 2023. Speaking to E! News in December 2025, she said she plans to take things one year at a time.
“At this point, I’m happy with my job,” White said. “I’m continuing on Wheel, and we’ll see what happens. You never know what’s around the corner.”
For now, White is celebrating both a personal and professional chapter — newly married and still a beloved fixture on one of television’s longest-running shows.
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