Vanna White's Daughter Gigi Santo Pietro Lives A Pretty Normal Life
Vanna White has maintained a close relationship with her two kids, Nikko Santo Pietro and Gigi Santo Pietro, who she had with her ex-husband George Santo Pietro. Despite her celebrity as a co-host on "Wheel of Fortune," White was able to give her children a relatively regular upbringing. "You know, I'm a mother of two. I did homework with my kids. I go to the grocery store," she told The Believer in 2018. "I don't know why there's this feeling of celebrities being different." Although White did add that celebrity had its drawbacks. "You lose a tremendous amount of privacy."
Prior to Pat Sajak officially announcing his retirement, White was asked if she would stay on if her co-host stepped down. "That's depressing. I don't even want to think about it," she told People in 2022. White had trouble envisioning a replacement for herself. "[I]t would be weird having somebody else turn my letters," the "Wheel of Fortune" host added.
In May, White was given a glimpse of how the game show would look without her, when none other than Sajak's daughter, Maggie Sajak, served as her temporary replacement. Maggie filmed a quick segment with White's son, Nikko. "It was great seeing you up here too. You did an awesome job, filling in for Mom," Nikko told Maggie, who has worked as a social correspondent on the show since 2021. While Sajak's daughter had been eager to work on the show, White's daughter Gigi took an entirely different career path as a tattoo artist.
Gigi Santo Pietro's intricate tattoo work
It likely came as no surprise to Vanna White that her daughter, Gigi Santo Pietro pursued a career as a tattoo artist. In 2019, the "Wheel of Fortune" host spoke about how her son, Nikko Santo Pietro, was interested in agriculture while Gigi pursued the arts. "My daughter is a city girl so she's very much into photography and artsy stuff and writing, so she might do something in photography or magazines," White told Closer. Gigi got her degree at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts.
She found work as a tattoo artist at Lincoln Tattoo Company located in Venice. She opened up about her passion in an Instagram post from 2021. "It's love that keeps me going. I LOVE what I do. It keeps me up at night. I work hard towards my craft so I can give you the best tattoo," Gigi wrote in the caption alongside two snaps of her working on a sketch with her tattoo machine.
The tattoo artist's Instagram page is filled with examples of her work. Gigi has shared intricate pieces she has worked on for customers such as a house in flames she inked on one person's arm and a detailed drawing of Pan the Goat on another customer's leg. Even though Gigi forged her own path, she still maintained a close relationship with her mom.
Vanna White often gushes over her daughter
Over the years, Vanna White has fawned over both Gigi Santo Pietro and Nikko Santo Pietro. "Your whole life changes after you have children," White told Family Circle in 2007, via People, when her children were still young. "But I wouldn't change a thing. Giovanna and Nicholas have brought so much love and joy into my life — more than I could have ever imagined," she added. Even as her kids grew up, the "Wheel of Fortune" host remained close to them.
Just as the career paths of White and Gigi are a stark contrast, so are their Instagram pages. While Gigi's page is littered with tattoo work, the long-time television personality often gushes over her kids on Instagram. Birthdays are no exception for White to share sappy sentiments. "Happy 25th birthday to the most beautiful girl in the world! My precious daughter! I love you Gigi!" White wrote in July 2022. Each year on Gigi's birthday, White uses the occasion to post photos of her daughter and send well wishes.
During the early days of the Covid lockdowns, the mother-daughter duo was able to spend some quality time together. White shared a snap of Gigi doing her nails. "Thank you Gigi for my #manicure! #motherdaughtertime," she wrote on Instagram in April 2020. Later that year, White posted a collage of Gigi for National Daughter Day. She included the hashtag "#specialbond" with snaps of Gigi smiling.