The Truth About Sean Hannity's Divorce

Conservative commentator Sean Hannity, the host of Hannity on Fox News since 2009, has divorced his wife, Jill Rhodes, after more than 20 years of marriage. The news of Hannity's divorce broke in June 2020, although sources close to the pair told Page Six they legally split a year before it became public knowledge. Rhodes and Hannity, who wed in 1993 and have two adult children together, were supposedly separated for "many years" before the official breakup, insiders claimed to the outlet. After the divorce news became public, the exes' rep released a statement about their split to Us Weekly, 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." Us Weekly reports that Hannity has credited Rhodes with helping him launch his career as a conservative political commentator, and the University of Alabama grad most recently worked as an editor on Hannity. Although Rhodes and Hannity have largely kept the details surrounding their marriage private, some sources have come forward to provide context for their breakup. But first, let's explore how they met. Hannity grew up on Long Island in New York, while Rhodes hails from Alabama. The sparks first flew when Hannity was working as a host at WVNN radio in Huntsville, and he developed a rapport with Rhodes, then a political columnist for the Huntsville Times, by calling her up to solicit story ideas, according to People. Hannity would reportedly amuse her with his frequent voicemail messages. The two finally met in 1992 at a mayoral debate Hannity had set up, with Rhodes recalling of their first in-person meeting, "I looked at his face and I said, 'That is the man I'm going to marry.'" The pair tied the knot in 1993. They welcomed their son, Patrick Hannity, in 1998, and their daughter, Merri Kelly, in 2002. People reported that same year that the Hannity family lived in a five-bedroom house on Long Island, but Jill told the outlet that Sean, quote, "could be happy living in a cardboard box.” Although the pair split their time between Long Island and Florida for the duration of their marriage, Rhodes has ties to Virginia, as she's an online instructor for the state's Liberty University, per her LinkedIn profile. As Rhodes and Hannity touched on in their joint statement, they plan to remain friends for the sake of their two kids. A source told the Daily Mail about the amicable divorce, "Friends and family have known for years. Our families were together as recently as Christmas 2018 where Jill hosted his birthday party at their Florida home. Sean and Jill are great parents when together; you don't even realize they split. Jill's brother, Sean's brother-in-law, still works with Sean on his TV show." A source reiterated this sentiment to Page Six, confirming that infidelity didn't play a role in the split, saying, "[The divorce] is very amicable. Sean and Jill remain on very good terms and still have family dinners, and attend tennis tournaments for their children. Sean is still close with members of Jill's family." Considering things seem to be great between Hannity and Rhodes, what led to their breakup in the first place? Hannity's work schedule may have played a role, as a source told the Daily Mail, "Sean does three hours of radio each day in the city followed by TV in primetime. His workload created a lot of time away and it was tough on the marriage. Sean's a huge family man; this was hard on him. Sean came from nothing, had a workaholic upbringing, and between his shows, books, [and] speeches, he just didn't slow down. It, unfortunately, broke his marriage." Watch the video for The Truth About Sean Hannity's Divorce! #SeanHannity #Hannity #FoxNews