Vanna White has extended her co-hosting contract on Wheel of Fortune for another two years, with a significant pay increase from her previous $3 million per year salary, which had remained unchanged for nearly two decades.
White’s previous salary of $3 million per year was considerably less than her co-host Pat Sajak’s $15 million per season.
During negotiations, White’s lawyer, Bryan Freedman, pushed for a substantial increase, seeking at least half of Pat’s earnings from Sony.
Sony initially included a clause in the new contract that would release the studio from any potential claims by Vanna White. However, Freedman successfully negotiated to have this clause removed from the contract.
There is speculation that her lawyer is considering the possibility of a gender discrimination lawsuit against Sony due to the significant pay disparity between Vanna and Pat Sajak.
Despite their equal status on the show, the substantial difference in pay has raised questions about gender-based wage inequality.
Vanna White should also receive retroactive pay for most of the years since she started.