Sean Hannity Was Secretly Divorced When His Romance With Ainsley Earhardt Began
Sean Hannity is not afraid to speak his mind on controversial issues, but the Fox News star is a lot more subdued when it comes to his personal life. As hard as it can be when you're in the public eye, Hannity kept his relationship with Ainsley Earhardt under wraps for close to a whopping four years. The anchors sparked romance rumors in August 2019 when they attended the wedding of fellow Fox colleagues Pete Hegseth and Jennifer Rauchet, seemingly together. "They made this grand entrance together," a former Fox executive told Vanity Fair in June 2020. "People were like, Wow, okay."
But Hannity refused to address the speculation. "I do not discuss my personal life in public," he said. Earhardt went a step further, flat-out denying it. "I am not dating anyone," she said. The Fox News stars have kept their relationship status unconfirmed, but photos and videos published by the Daily Mail in April left very little up for discussion. Hannity and Earhardt are pictured with arms locked and arms around each other during different family outings.
The report seemingly confirms their years-long relationship, though they still don't address it. "It's not a surprise to anyone who knows them, but they're very private people and prefer to keep their personal life private and lowkey," a source told the outlet. When rumors started swirling, Hannity was still supposedly married. But he had actually secretly divorced shortly before, showing he really is good about keeping his private affairs to himself.
Sean Hannity had been separated for years
Sean Hannity announced he had divorced Jill Rhodes in June 2020. But the couple had actually finalized the dissolution of their decades-long marriage in early 2019 before he was first linked to Ainsley Earhardt. By that time, Hannity and Rhodes had been apart for several years. "Amicable agreements were entered into over four years ago," they said in a statement to USA Today. Hannity and Rhodes tied the knot in 1993, two years after they met in Alabama.
Rhodes worked as a political columnist for the Huntsville Times when Hannity snagged his first job in journalism at WVNN radio. In fact, Hannity used to reach out to her to pick her brain. She finally fell for him after watching him at a mayoral debate in 1992. "I looked at his face and I said, 'That is the man I'm going to marry,'" she told People in 2002. The former couple shares two children, Patrick and Merri, born in 1998 and 2001, whom they prioritized upon their separation.
"They maintain a close relationship as parents to their children," their statement to USA Today read. After getting together, Hannity and Earhardt blended their families. The "Fox & Friends" co-host's only child, Hayden, was a toddler when her relationship with Hannity is said to have started, while Patrick and Merri were teenagers. As such, Hannity has reportedly become a father figure in the little girl's life. "Sean adores Ainsley's daughter Hayden," a source told the Daily Mail.
Ainsley Earhardt also got divorced in 2019
When Sean Hannity was signing divorce papers in 2019, so was Ainsley Earhardt. Will Proctor filed for divorce from Earhardt in October 2018, amid claims he had been unfaithful with one of her friends, Page Six reported. "There is not one ounce of truth to the allegations that I had an affair," he said. "I am disappointed that this private matter has become public." The accusation and whether it played a role in the dissolution of the marriage remained unconfirmed.
What seems more plausible is that Proctor and Earhardt grew apart as she focused on her career, which became apparent when she mentioned Fox in her divorce announcement. "I am grateful to Fox for their support and allowing me to spend all day, every day after the morning show with my child," she said. Though he was the one who pulled the plug, Proctor implied the separation had been Earhardt's idea while throwing shade at the company.
"I remain focused on and committed to being the best Dad, and maintaining a friendship with my wife even though she has decided to move on, and The Fox Public Relations Machine has decided to go public," he said, according to Daily News. The mood seemed to have calmed after the divorce, with her speaking highly of Proctor in late 2019. "We honestly wish each other nothing but the best, and we will remain friends for the rest of our lives," she told People.