Getty/Facebook Sean Hannity and wife Jill Rhodes divorced after 20+ years of marriage.
Fox News host Sean Hannity and wife Jill Rhodes announced June 3 that they have divorced after more than two decades of marriage.
In a joint statement, the former couple confirmed that the split happened more than four years ago. People reported the divorce was finalized more than a year ago.
But the pair strived to keep the split quiet. As of this writing, Rhodes’ Facebook page still has “married” listed as her relationship status. Hannity and Rhodes have two grown children together.
Here’s what you need to know:
Hannity & Rhodes Announced They Reached ‘Amicable Agreements’ More Than Four Years Ago
Hannity and Rhodes decided to separate more than four years ago but managed to keep the news out of the public eye until their joint June 3 announcement, which read:
Sean and Jill are committed to working together for the best interests of their children. Amicable agreements were entered into over four years ago between Sean and Jill. They maintain a close relationship as parents to their children. Neither will have any further comments and ask for the sake of their children that their privacy be respected.
Family friends told Page Six that the former spouses still have dinners with their two children and attend their children’s sporting events together. Their son, Sean Patrick, is 21. Daughter Merri Kelly is 18.
Friends of the Former Couple Say Hannity’s Hectic Work Schedule Contributed to the Divorce
Sean Hannity
Hannity maintains a busy work schedule at Fox News. In addition to his primetime talk show Hannity, he also hosts a weekday syndicated radio program called The Sean Hannity Show. The radio show is three hours every day.
Friends of the former couple say Hannity’s career contributed to the demise of the marriage because he and Rhodes didn’t spend much quality time together. The Daily Mail cited a “close friend” of Hannity and Rhodes who described the Fox News host’s work ethic: “Sean’s a huge family man, this was hard on him. Sean came from nothing, had a workaholic upbringing and between his shows, books, speeches he just didn’t slow down, it unfortunately broke his marriage.”
Page Six also cited an anonymous source who insisted neither Hannity nor Rhodes had strayed during the relationship.
The Hannitys Owned Properties On Long Island & In Southern Florida
Google Maps Sean Hannity and ex-wife Jill Rhodes bought a mansion in Oyster Bay, Long Island, in 2008.
Hannity and Rhodes owned at least two homes together on Long Island and Naples, Florida. It’s possible they purchased the properties under either a trust or corporation name because a standard search of online records does not yield any results. Therefore, it’s unclear how the former couple split their assets in the divorce.
According to 2018 report from Business Insider, Hannity earns approximately $36 million per year at Fox News. That salary was used to purchase an 11,000 square-foot mansion in the village of Centre Island in 2008 for $8.5 million. Variety reports the home has 7 bedrooms, 7.5 bathrooms, a swimming pool and a tennis court and that it sits on six acres of waterfront property.
Centre Island is located in the town of Oyster Bay in Long Island’s Nassau County. Centre Island measures only about one square mile and according to census records, a population of about 400 people.
The family also had a vacation property in Naples, Florida, as of 2016. According to Naples Condo Boutique, Hannity owned a penthouse condominium in the Moraya Bay Beach Tower building which overlooks the Gulf of Mexico at Vanderbilt Beach. Hannity told the outlet in 2016 that his family liked to “explore the mangroves, fish, and ride jet skis on the Gulf of Mexico” and play tennis in the community.
Realtor.com currently lists six properties for sale at the building. The available condos range from $4.45 million to $6.1 million and all have at least 4,000 square-feet of living space.
Rhodes Is an Alabama Native & Was Working as a Reporter When She Met Hannity In the Early 1990s
FacebookJill (Rhodes) Hannity
Rhodes is originally from Montgomery and attended the University of Alabama for college. Like her famous ex-husband, Rhodes pursued a career in journalism. She was working as a political columnist for the Huntsville Times in the early 1990s when she first met Hannity. He was working for WVNN radio in Huntsville at the time.
Hannity told People in 2002 that he used to leave voicemail messages for Rhodes to ask her for story ideas. Rhodes told the magazine that she was hooked after attending a mayoral debate Hannity moderated in 1992. “I looked at his face and I said, ‘That is the man I’m going to marry.'”
Hannity and Rhodes tied the knot in 1993. In 1996, Hannity accepted a job at Fox News. After moving to Manhattan, Rhodes started working as a book editor, the New York Times reported in 1998. But by 2002, Rhodes had stopped working to raise their children; the 2002 feature by People described Rhodes as a homemaker.
Hannity has long credited Rhodes’ support for as important to his success. He dedicated his 2002 book, “Let Freedom Ring: Winning the War of Liberty over Liberalism” to Rhodes. Hannity described Rhodes as the love of his life and their two children as the “greatest gift God ever gave me.” He further wrote in the acknowledgments:
The most important acknowledgment I make is to my family – my wife, Jill and my two children, Patrick and Kelly, to whom I dedicate this book. They are the ones who put up with the long work hours I needed to invest in this project. They are the ones who make it worth doing – and who make my life complete and happy on more levels than I can explain. I am blessed to have them in my life.
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