Vanna White is best known for her letter-turning role on Wheel of Fortune, but one of the accomplishments she’s most proud of is motherhood.
White shares kids Nikko and Gigi Santo Pietro with ex-husband George Santo Pietro, whom she was married to from 1990 to 2002. Nikko revealed after his parents split, he and his dad still tuned in regularly to watch White on Wheel of Fortune.
“You know what the truth is that when my mom and dad separated, my dad would watch Wheel of Fortune, so I watched it probably more than she did,” he candidly told People in October 2025.
Similarly, White never hesitates to share her pride in what her kids have achieved in their own careers.
“I love bragging! My son works at a real estate agency, and he does a great job. He is dedicated and he’s hungry to make deals close,” the game show personality told Parade in September 2024. “My daughter went to New York University and graduated with an art degree. Now she’s a very good tattoo artist. She loves putting her art on someone’s body that will be there forever. The work she does is beautiful.”
Keep scrolling to learn more about White’s children:
Nicholas ‘Nikko’ Santo Pietro
Nikko was born on June 10, 1994. He studied agriculture at Oregon State University before launching his career as a real estate agent, joining The Agency’s elite group The Umansky Team.
“One of Nikko’s most significant passions is cooking, a love he inherited from his father, who owned two iconic Los Angeles restaurants, Santo Pietro’s and Sushi Ko,” his bio on The Agency site reads. “He grew up tending to a garden and vineyard, where guests were welcomed daily, and communal meals were prepared and shared.” (White previously revealed both of her kids moved back to L.A. during the COVID-19 pandemic.)
Fans may also recognize Nikko from his cooking videos featured on both his Instagram page and his mother’s official account. His social media following continues to grow, with many declaring Nikko a “hearthrob” with their comments on the posts.
“I’ve had an outpour from her fans just really being kind and saying all kinds of interesting stuff in the comments,” Nikko told Entertainment Tonight in December 2024 of the fan reaction.
Giovanna ‘Gigi’ Santo Pietro
White and George welcomed Gigi on July 1, 1997. She attended New York University where she studied photography. Gigi currently works as a tattoo artist, displaying some of her work via Instagram.
In October 2023, White revealed that she was open to getting tattooed by Gigi in the future.
“You know what, I want to have matching hearts where she’ll do a little heart on me and she’ll do one on herself. I feel like I need to do that because it’s her and it would be her on me,” the game show icon told People, adding she “never dreamed” that her daughter would become a tattoo artist but is thrilled for her.
“I said, ‘Gigi, why tattooing?’ She goes, ‘Mom, my art is on someone’s body for the rest of their lives.’ I was like, ‘That’s pretty cool,’” White revealed. “You have to be so good and confident. You can’t mess up. So she absolutely loves it. She’s been doing that for the past three years and is doing a great job. I’m so, so proud of her.”
White shared that both of her kids have always been very creative.
“They’re both artistic,” she revealed. “Nikko does artwork for fun. That’s his escape from the real world, his real life is in real estate, which is good for him. So he’s loving that as well.”
Vanna White’s Son Showed Support After Her Wedding to John Donaldson
White announced in January 2026 that she married longtime boyfriend John Donaldson after more than a decade of dating.
“Surprise! We got married! ❤️John and I have been in love for more than a decade and a little while back, we wanted to make it official in a private ceremony,” she captioned a photo of Donaldson carrying her in his arms as she wore a white beaded gown. “We’re excited to share this new joyful chapter in our lives with all of you! Love, Vanna and John.”
Fans, friends and stars took to the comments section of the post to send congratulatory messages to the newlyweds.
“Congrats!! 🎉🍾,” Nikko commented.
White subsequently thanked everyone for the love in a follow-up comment, writing, “Thank you all for the sweet well wishes!!! We are so thankful for all the love and congratulations.”
