Who Is Jill Rhodes? Inside the Life of Sean Hannity’s Ex-wife

Jill Rhodes is the ex-wife of Sean Hannity. The pair got married in 1993, and while they managed to go far beyond the 7-year average married life of celebrities to be together for over 2 decades, their union came to a silent end in 2019.

Since the end of her marriage to the Fox News talk show host and political commentator, Jill, an author and columnist, has continued to keep her distance from anything that would pull her to public life.

How Old is Jill Rhodes?

Jill Rhodes is 61 years old in 2024. It was on August 27, 1960, that Jill Rhodes was born in Alabama, United States of America. It was also here that she spent her early life, although information as regards her parents and other family members is not available in the public domain.

Of white ethnic background and American nationality, she was said to have had her early education as well as her high school education in Alabama.

She proceeded to the University of Alabama, where she studied and graduated with a degree in Journalism. After her studies, Jill got her career life started when she worked for Huntsville Times as a political writer. She also worked for the Alabama commercial AM radio station WVNN as a radio host.

She Met Her Former Husband In The Early 1990s

Jill and Sean’s love story dates back to the early 1990s when their paths first crossed. At the time, Rhodes was working with Huntsville Times as a political journalist, while Hannity had just moved into town after taking a job at a local radio station. The moment the Fox TV host man saw the picture of Rhodes in the column, he fell in love with her, and he also appreciated her talent so much that he always called her to get a story idea.

In 1992, Sean planned a mayoral debate with the young Jill. The moment she looked at Sean’s face, the columnist was sure that she had found for herself the man to marry. The love she had for Sean was so strong that she held her ground even when she was discouraged by colleagues and her pastor from marrying him.

The man of God stated that she must be out of her mind to consider marrying Sean Hannity because the media personality decided to have an argument with the pastor on how the church was becoming too liberal during a pre-marital counseling session. The episode ended with Jill leaving the event with tears in her eyes.

In spite of all the discouraging voices that drummed into her ears, she agreed to move with him to Atlanta after he took another job there. The catch, however, was that she was not moving with him without a ring, and so Hannity engaged Rhodes only a few months after they met. They walked down the aisle in 1993.

Jill Rhodes and Sean Hannity Divorced After Being Married For More Than 2 Decades

In 2011, while talking of how people tried to discourage his then-wife from marrying him, Hannity bragged that of all their many friends whom the pastor who tried discouraging Jill from marrying him wedded, only the two of them were still married after 18 years. Unfortunately, they were also not spared from divorce, as in 2019, the pair decided to end their marriage after being together for more than 26 years.

They did a great job in keeping all about their marital issues and divorce away from the public, as the media did not know about the divorce until almost a year later, in 2020, when the pair broke the news. It was reported that even before the divorce, the two had been having some issues, and they separated for a number of years.

Hannity once revealed that he was a difficult person to be with because of his love for argument, but the main reason why his marriage came to an end was never revealed. Nonetheless, a couple of years before the divorce, Sean Hannity’s name was drawn into a sexual harassment scandal that rocked Fox News in 2017. The scandal later forced Bill O’Reilly and Roger Ailes away from the channel.

At the time, Hannity was accused by Debbie Schlussel of inappropriate behavior. According to the political commentator and talk show host, while Bill had never tried harassing her, Hannity did. Hannity denied the allegations, threatening legal actions against her, but she later clarified that although he was creepy, he did not try to sexually assault her, backtracking on her earlier claims that he invited her to his hotel room. There was no indication that this contributed in any way to his divorce since Debbie had cleared the air.

The privacy they maintained during their marriage made it difficult for anyone to guess what was happening between them even though, as reported, they were not together for four years before they finalized their divorce. More so, they made it clear after the divorce that they were not going to make any further comments for the sake of their children.

Jill Rhodes is a Mother of Two

The marriage between Jill and Sean was blessed with two wonderful kids: Sean Patrick Hannity and Merri Kelly Hannity. The older of the kids, Sean Patrick, was born on November 3, 1998, in Cold Spring Harbor, New York. Although he also tries to keep a rather private life, it is known that he is currently into sports. The 25-year-old plays tennis. Sean Jr. attended Laurel Springs School and is currently a student at Wake Forest University, where he majors in Communication.

Two years after Sean Patrick, Jill Rhodes had her second child, Merri Kelly, who was born in 2001. Interestingly, Merri is also following in the footsteps of her older brother as she also plays tennis. As of 2021, she was a freshman at the University of Michigan.

Jill’s Life After Divorce Is Shrouded In Mystery

The life of the American author since she parted ways with her husband is something that many have attempted to get a closer look at. However, she has kept it in the same privacy that she has always maintained her life even when she was still married.

 

The only thing that seems to be known about her is that she maintains an amicable relationship with her former husband and the father of their kids. In a statement detailing their divorce, the former couple made it known that they were going to work together towards the betterment of their children.

While not much is known about her at the heels of the failed marriage, it is clear that her former husband has since moved on. The TV host, not long after it was made known that his marriage had ended, was reported to be in another relationship with someone also known in the media circles: Ainsley Earhardt. Earnhardt is a journalist who joined Fox News as a co-host of Fox & Friends in 2007. According to reports, they had been together since 2019, after his marriage ended.

Interestingly, the marriage of Ainsley to Will Proctor, which was her second, also ended in 2019. It was reported that both marriages of Ainsley came to an end because of alleged infidelity. It was claimed that her first husband, who was also her high school sweetheart, Kevin McKinney, was not faithful to her in their marriage that lasted from 2005 to 2009. Her marriage with Proctor, which lasted from 2012 to 2019, was also claimed to have ended because he cheated on her with her best friend, an allegation that he vehemently denied.

FAQs about Jill Rhodes

Who Is Jill Rhodes?

Jill Rhodes is the ex-wife of Sean Hannity, the controversial Fox News personality and conservative political commentator.

What is Jill Rhodes’ Age?

Jill Rhodes is 61 years old in 2024. She was born on August 27, 1960, in the state of Alabama. Her zodiac sign is Cancer.

Where Does Jill Rhodes Live Now?

It is believed that Jill Rhodes still lives in New York City as she keeps in close touch with her ex-husband.

What is Jill Rhodes’ Net Worth?

Jill Rhodes’ net worth is $3 million, and she earned it from investments as well as her income as a writer and journalist.