Meet Vanna White’s longtime boyfriend.
The Wheel of Fortune icon has been dating John Donaldson since 2012, a romantic relationship that she previously told PEOPLE “just works.”
White was introduced to Donaldson over a decade ago following her amicable split from restaurateur George Santo Pietro in 2002. The former couple wed in 1990 and famously announced that she was pregnant with their first child via a puzzle on the game show in 1992.
However, a week later, she revealed that she had a miscarriage. “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 in 2019, recalling the “devastating” news.
But White recalled “good news” too, sharing that she “was able to get pregnant again and had two beautiful, healthy children.” She and Santo Pietro welcomed a son named Nicholas in 1994 and a daughter named Giovanna “Gigi” in 1997.
Outside of her romantic relationships, White has also maintained a decades-long friendship with her former Wheel of Fortune co-host Pat Sajak. He retired from the game show in June 2024, and White is now co-hosting alongside Ryan Seacrest.
In September 2024, White did admit to Andy Cohen that, back in her single days, contestants on the Wheel of Fortune would sometimes flirt with her.
“I can’t really talk to them during the show, but I’ve gotten a few looks,” she said with a smile.
Here’s everything to know about White’s boyfriend, Donaldson.
He’s a California native
Donaldson is a California native, born and raised in Santa Monica. Since he was young, he knew he wanted to work in the construction industry, a career that began when he accepted a job as a laborer in the San Fernando Valley.
His early duties ranged from packing lumber for $5 per hour on a commercial job site to becoming a carpenter driving around neighborhoods looking for work on framing crews. His hard work was recognized, eventually leading to his head foreman gig working on luxury homes in the Hollywood Hills.
Donaldson’s resume was star-studded, with names including Richard Dreyfuss, Dan Akroyd and Martin Mull. Eventually, he earned his contractor’s license and picked up various construction projects of his own — in part which led him to his ultimate goal to run his own shop.
He’s owns a construction company in California
Donaldson owns his own construction company, JDC Construction + Development Group, in California. He is the president and building developer at the company, which was previously known as John R. Donaldson, Inc. until July 2014.
“JDC prides itself on its tradesman roots and the insight which years of hands on experience provides to property owners, architects and engineers in developing realistic plans for revitalization projects, as well as finding appropriate solutions to renovation challenges,” the company states on its website.
Introduced in 1987 and based in Southern California, JDC specializes in “the restoration and rehabilitation of Multifamily properties and now the development of new ground up multifamily projects.” According to the site, Donaldson built his general contracting firm “on the foundations of trust and professionalism” through good economic times and bad.
He takes pride in his restoration projects
Throughout his career, Donaldson has taken on major projects as a result of natural events that occurred in California. Among them was the devastating 1994 Northridge earthquake that occurred on Jan. 17 in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles.
“Working on these earthquake-damaged buildings was a great learning experience in understanding how to conduct major repairs and maintain the building’s architectural integrity,” reads Donaldson’s company website. At the time, Donaldson and his partner took on the project before going their separate ways in 1998.
“John says that he finds great satisfaction in being able to help transform old dated buildings and bringing them new life,” the website states. “He adds value to these projects not only through his construction expertise, but through his ability to work closely with architects and others in conceptualizing the creative aspects of the redevelopment.”
He’s been dating Vanna for over a decade
White and Donaldson’s romance dates back to 2012 after the TV personality and Santo Pietro split amicably in 2002. White met the real estate developer when a friend brought him to one of her barbecues.
“I remember looking at him and thinking, ‘He’s really cute,'” she told PEOPLE with a laugh. “We ended up talking for a long time that night.” They’ve been together ever since.
“It just works,” she said of their breezy relationship. “He lets me be me, I let him be him. There is no drama.”
Since then, they’ve made various public appearances together. Donaldson has accompanied White on several red carpets and charity events — some of which include the 2016 Cyrsalis Butterfly Ball, the 2017 Brent Shapiro Foundation For Alcohol and Drug Prevention fundraiser and the 2019 annual Race to Erase MS Gala.
He’s considered “family” to Vanna
In addition to showing support for one another at public events, White never shies from showcasing her love for Donaldson on social media. She often posts sweet tributes on Instagram, uploading images paired with captions dedicated to her partner and two kids.
“Happy Holidays,” White wrote alongside a photo on Instagram in December 2024, which showed Gigi, Donaldson and Nikko in a group shot.
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