Wheel Of Fortune: Why Pat Sajak's Retirement Made Vanna White Hire 'Aggressive' Lawyers
Soon after news of Pat Sajak's departure from his longtime "Wheel of Fortune" hosting duties became public, Vanna White — the show's co-host for virtually Sajak's entire, decades-long run — hired legal representation to ensure that she earns a fair paycheck once new "Wheel of Fortune" host Ryan Seacrest kicks off his upcoming gig.
Author Matthew Belloni reported on White's current status with "Wheel of Fortune" in a piece for Puck revealing that she's working with Bryan Freedman, who he describes as a lawyer with an aggressive reputation. White's primary reason for obtaining legal representation is that, according to Belloni, she never once received a pay raise over the course of the past 18 years, instead earning additional money through bonuses. During that time, White received $3 million per year whereas Sajak's contract netted him $15 million per year.
White, then, seems to be leveraging the fact that "Wheel of Fortune" is now in a state of flux following Sajak's retirement to negotiate what she feels is a contract befitting her importance to the show. That said, White's return may not yet be a foregone conclusion, perhaps further necessitating an aggressive legal team.
Vanna White wants to return to Wheel of Fortune, but is allegedly worried she might not
Also around the same time that Pat Sajak announced his "Wheel of Fortune" retirement, an anonymous source close to Vanna White told The Daily Mail that she fully intends to remain the show's co-host. However, at least at the time of the article's publication, she didn't necessarily feel that this would be a guarantee moving forward. "If it is up to her, she is in it forever," the anonymous source said. "A year from now, if Vanna is gone from 'Wheel,' it wasn't her decision." This source also claimed that White wanted to help select the show's new host. It's unclear whether or not she had a say in choosing Ryan Seacrest.
According to Belloni's piece for Puck, White is contracted through the 2023-2024 season of "Wheel of Fortune," suggesting that White will, at the very least, work alongside Seacrest at her current rate of pay for an upcoming string of episodes. After that, however, it seems that it's up to White and her legal representation to ensure that she can both return and earn a sum of money she feels is appropriate given her contributions to "Wheel of Fortune" throughout its decades-long history.