(NewsNation) — “Wheel of Fortune” co-host Vanna White, who has been with the show for forty years, is reportedly asking for a pay raise — something she hasn’t seen for 18 years.
The show’s other host, Pat Sajak, recently announced his retirement, with Ryan Seacrest set to replace him.
White is under contract for one more season. Puck News reported she’s been making around $3 million a year since 2005, but has only gotten bonuses since then, not a raise.
Sajak, meanwhile, reportedly made five times as much. According to Forbes, he received $15 million per year for doing the show.
A representative for Sony, who owns Wheel of Fortune, declined to comment to Puck News.
The publication reports that White, 66, is also on ABC’s primetime “Celebrity Wheel of Fortune” and can do outside endorsements.
As for Seacrest, he posted on social media Tuesday that he’s humbled to follow Sajak, saying it’s been “a privilege and pure joy” to watch him and White. He implied she would be staying on the show, writing: “I can’t wait to continue the tradition of spinning the wheel and working alongside the great Vanna White.”
But as the news broke of Seacrest taking over hosting duties, White has retained powerhouse attorney Bryan Freedman, according to Puck, who’s known for representing a slew of Hollywood heavyweights during disputes with TV networks.
Attorney Omar Ochoa, who’s dealt with contract and litigation law in Texas, said whether this could potentially escalate to a lawsuit over pay or gender discrimination depends on the facts of the case, or if there were any Human Resources issues documented that could come into play. Ochoa added it’s common for big media personalities, athletes or executives to hire lawyers for contract negotiations.
He said White has put a lot of time into the show.
“She’s really grown her brand,” Ochoa said. “I mean, the name itself evokes emotions and memories of the of the show, and so she’s brought a lot of value.”
Seacrest doesn’t take over “Wheel of Fortune” until next year, which is when White’s contract is set to expire.
“Obviously, she wants to have the freedom to decide what the next step is going to be for her when this new host comes in,” Ochoa said.
For her part, White posted a congratulatory message on Twitter after Sajak announced he would retire.
“When we started @WheelofFortune who could have imagined we’d still be at it 41 seasons later?” she said. “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!”
