She's now hired an aggressive new lawyer to help her get a raise.
Vanna White's been co-hosting Wheel of Fortune since 1982 but a new report claims she has not received a raise in nearly two decades.
That stunning revelation, via Puck, has come to light after Pat Sajak, 76, announced earlier this month that he's retiring at the end of season 41, which premieres in September. According to Puck, White, 66, has since hired an "aggressive new lawyer" to get her raise amid ongoing negotiations for her to continue to stay beyond when her deal ends at the end of the 2023-24 season.
Puck's Matthew Belloni reports White currently makes $3 million a year and, citing multiple sources, Sajak makes five times as much. It should be noted that the outlet also reported she's received some bonuses, too. While some have pointed out that Sajak's the host and White's a co-host who taps screens to reveal letters on the board (she used to turn them, 'member?), Puck noted that it's White who does "way more" publicity for the show than Sajak. Sony declined to comment on Puck's reporting.
White, who joined the show in 1982, is undoubtedly synonymous with Wheel of Fortune, which premiered in 1981. She's since secured her spot in pop culture lexicon, which is not always a given even after more than 40 years with the show.
Remember, it was Nelly who gave White -- not Sajak -- a shout out in his 2000 banger "Ride Wit Me" when he raps, "Running credit checks with no shame now / I feel the fame now (come on) / I can't complain now (no more) / I'm the man now, in and out my own town / I'm getting pages out of New Jersey from Courtney B / Telling me about a party up in NYC / And can I make it? Damn right, I be on the next flight / Paying cash; first class -- sitting next to Vanna White."
After Sajak announced he would retire at the end of season 41, White paid tribute to her longtime colleague.
"When we started @WheelofFortune who could have imagined we’d still be at it 41 seasons later? I couldn’t be happier to have shared the stage with you for all these years with one more to come. Cheers to you, @patsajak!" White wrote over Sajak's original tweet.
It remains unclear if White wants to return in her current capacity or if she'd like to take over for Sajak. The View's Whoopi Goldberg has already thrown her hat in the ring. While an official replacement hasn't been announced, several notable names -- in addition to Goldberg -- have come up, including Ryan Seacrest, Sajak's daughter, Maggie, and White.
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