Strange Things About Ainsley Earhardt And Sean Hannity's Relationship
Sean Hannity and Ainsley Earhardt prefer to keep their relationship away from the spotlight. Even though they've been linked for years, the Fox News stars prefer not to address their romance publicly. "I never talk about my personal life, ever," Hannity told Newsweek when asked about his dating life. The interviewer insisted, asking if Hannity ever steps out in public with his girlfriend, whom he didn't name. But Hannity remained unfazed. "I'll tell you this; I'm a complete loser, hermit, recluse during my workweek, because all I do is work," the Fox News host said.
But, as the two influential TV personalities know well, images sometimes tell a story better than words. Pictures and videos released by the Daily Mail in April show that the "Fox & Friends" anchor and Hannity are very much a couple who travels and attend festivals together. "They are extremely happy together and have been for a while," an insider told the outlet. "It's not a surprise to anyone who knows them." Earhardt and Hannity just don't care for the general public to be a witness to their love.
"They're very private people and prefer to keep their personal life private and lowkey," the source added. As secretive as the pair tries to be, Hannity and Earhardt are among the most well-known conservative pundits today, and keeping their affairs to themselves isn't exactly 100% possible. Try as they might, the two haven't been able to hide some of the strange details about the relationship.
Ainsley Earhardt and Sean Hannity kept their romance a secret for years
News that Ainsley Earhardt and Sean Hannity were an item surfaced in a June 2020 Vanity Fair report. While juicy in and of itself, the news was heightened by the revelation the TV hosts had been seeing each other for "quite some time." But Earhardt and Hannity kept their romance to themselves, even among their inner groups, though they weren't exactly hiding it. "I knew they were involved. I saw it when we were all together," a friend of Hannity's said.
According to Vanity Fair, which spoke with four Fox News employees, Earhardt and Hannity first stepped out publicly as a couple at Pete Hegseth and Jennifer Rauchet's wedding in August 2019. "Hannity emerged from the chopper with Ainsley Earhardt, and they made this grand entrance together," a former executive said. "People were like, Wow, okay." But another insider claims they had been together for a lot longer. "[They have] been seeing each other very secretively for years," the source told People that same June.
By the time the media caught wind of the romance, Earhardt was already using Hannity's Long Island home as a remote studio for "Fox & Friends" during the COVID-19 pandemic. Still, both denied the relationship at the time. Earhardt was more assertive in her denial. "I am not dating anyone," she told Vanity Fair. Hannity, on the other hand, was more evasive. "I do not discuss my personal life in public," he said.
Wasn't Sean Hannity still married?
In June 2020, Sean Hannity announced he and his wife of nearly three decades, Jill Rhodes, had divorced the previous year, USA Today reported, just days before his relationship with Ainsley Earhardt hit the press. If Hannity and Earhardt had been dating for years, did that mean Hannity was still married during that time? Technically, yes. But Hannity and Rhodes had been separated for years, a detail he kept away from the public. "Amicable agreements were entered into over four years ago between Sean and Jill," an insider told USA Today.
Hannity really wasn't kidding when he said he doesn't discuss his personal life. The TV personality hadn't even shared the news with his colleagues, who started to get suspicious when Rhodes stopped showing up to Fox News events with Hannity, Page Six reported. But Hannity and Rhodes, who married in 1993 and share two kids, remained friends. "Sean and Jill remain on very good terms and still have family dinners, and attend tennis tournaments for their children," an insider said. "Sean is still close with members of Jill's family."
The decision to end their marriage had nothing to do with Earhardt. Instead, it was a result of Hannity's schedule. "Sean is basically a workaholic," the insider said. A source cited by the Daily Mail added that Hannity's preoccupation with his work grew over the years, suggesting Rhodes had different expectations for their later years. "He didn't slow down, [and] it unfortunately broke his marriage," the source said.
Did Ainsley Earhardt once hint about their romance?
Ainsley Earhardt and Sean Hannity's relationship may have been an open secret for years, but they still don't address it publicly. Well, for the most part. Earhardt couldn't contain herself when co-host Brian Kilmeade asked Hannity, who joined "Fox & Friends" to celebrate Fox News' 25th anniversary in October 2021, if he had a favorite host of the show. "Yes, he does," Earhardt interjected, slyly smiling at Kilmeade. Hannity played along, though, opting for a joke instead of confirming the obvious.
"Definitely, it's between Steve and Ainsley for sure," he quipped, referring to Steve Doocy. Hannity quickly turned the moment into an homage to the Fox News team, calling all of them "friends." Earhardt closed the segment with strong words of praise for Hannity. "If you knew what we know about him, he's the most generous person," she said. After describing some of his actions, Earhardt noted the impact Hannity has had on the network. "You're just a really good person, Sean, and you've helped all of our careers," she added.
This wasn't the first time Earhardt has publicly expressed admiration for her colleague — and, well, boyfriend. In the first statement she released to the press to deny news of the relationship, she admitted that she considered Hannity to be a great catch. "As anyone at Fox News will tell you, Sean is a wonderful person and whomever he chooses to date will be extremely fortunate," she said, as Vanity Fair reported.
Sean Hannity and Ainsley Earhardt have a considerable age gap
Ainsley Earhardt celebrated her 47th birthday on September 20, while Sean Hannity turned 62 on December 30, making her 15 years his junior. The age difference seems to mark a deviation in the dating pattern for both of them. Hannity's ex-wife, Jill Rhodes, was just a year younger than him, according to the USA Today report. On the other hand, Earhardt's second husband, Will Proctor, was actually eight years younger than she, according to the Daily Mail. But their age didn't seem to negatively impact their relationship.
Instead, the marriage attracted negative press for different reasons. Earhardt and Proctor announced their split in October 2018, though the Daily Mail reported they had been living separately for months. The report claimed the marriage started to sour years earlier when Earhardt reportedly found out he had been cheating with one of her close friends. The couple tried to work on the marriage for a while but ultimately decided to call it quits. Proctor denied the infidelity allegations to Page Six.
Earhardt's first husband, Kevin McKinney, was her college sweetheart and graduated from the University of South Carolina in 1998, according to his LinkedIn profile. Earhardt graduated from USC a year later, suggesting they were about the same age. Thus, Earhardt doesn't seem to put a lot of weight on age when it comes to dating, having fallen for men who are younger, older, and around her age.
Sean Hannity seems to be involved with Ainsley Earhardt's daughter
When Ainsley Earhardt and Will Proctor split, their daughter, Hayden, was just 2 years old. Earhardt was linked to Sean Hannity the following year, meaning he's been in the girl's life since she was about 3. In the years Hayden went from toddler to school-aged kid, she has apparently developed a bond with her mother's boyfriend. At least that's what the April report by the Daily Mail suggests. "Sean adores Ainsley's daughter Hayden," a source told the Daily Mail.
According to the insider, Hannity has even been making parenting decisions regarding Hayden. In February 2023, Earhardt, Hannity, and Hayden enjoyed some downtime at The Colony Palm Beach Hotel, but Hayden went crazy about souvenirs at the gift shop, causing a bit of a delay when Hannity and Earhardt were trying to leave. And Hannity reportedly used the opportunity to give Hayden a lesson in excessive consumerism.
"She kept saying, 'I want one of these.' And in true daddy fashion Hannity told her, 'You have that at home,'" the source said. "After going back and forth for a bit, the girl finally relented and they left the hotel." It sounds like Earhardt trusts Hannity's parenting skills with Hayden, whose upbringing she considers her top priority. "I love this child and (like all parents) everything I do is for this child. I wouldn't have it any other way. What a purpose, what a gift, what an honor," she wrote in an Instagram post.