Jill Rhodes is an American former newspaper journalist and the first wife of Fox News host Sean Hannity. She worked as a political columnist in Alabama, married Hannity in 1993, raised two children with him, and the couple divorced in 2019. She has never courted public attention, so most of what is written about her online is thin, repetitive or simply wrong.
This guide sticks to what is supported by reliable reporting, flags what is uncertain, and explains why so many “Jill Rhodes biography” pages contradict each other.
Jill Rhodes at a Glance
| Detail | What is reported |
|---|---|
| Full name | Jill Rhodes |
| Known as | Former wife of Sean Hannity |
| Profession | Former journalist and political columnist |
| Home state | Alabama |
| Education | Journalism degree, University of Alabama |
| Marriage | January 1993 to 2019 |
| Children | Two adult children, Patrick and Merri Kelly |
| Divorce | Finalized in 2019, made public in June 2020 |
| Current public profile | Very low |
Who Is Jill Rhodes?
Jill Rhodes is not a television personality, and she has not built a public brand. Her name is searched almost entirely because of her marriage to Sean Hannity, one of the best-known conservative voices on American television and radio. Before that marriage, however, she had a career of her own in local journalism.
Several biographies describe her as an Alabama native who studied journalism at the University of Alabama and then became a political columnist for The Huntsville Times. That career path is consistent across the more careful profiles, and it is the part of her story that holds up best.
Early Life and Education
Rhodes grew up in Alabama and went on to study journalism at the University of Alabama. Beyond that, very little about her childhood or family is documented by credible sources. Her parents’ names, her siblings and her schooling before college have not been confirmed in any reliable public record.
You will see a birth date of August 27, 1962 repeated on many websites. It is plausible, and one older profile gave an age that roughly fits it, but it traces back mostly to celebrity-wiki style pages rather than a primary source, so treat it as unconfirmed.
Career: A Political Columnist in Huntsville
After university, Rhodes worked as a political columnist at The Huntsville Times, covering local and state politics. This was the early 1990s, a period when local newspapers were still the main place residents learned how city hall, the statehouse and campaigns worked.
Some profiles say she later worked behind the scenes on Hannity’s programs as an editor or adviser. That claim appears in a few places but is not well documented, so it is best read as “reportedly” rather than as established fact. What can be said safely is that her professional identity before marriage was journalism, and that she stepped back from public life as her husband’s career grew.
How She Met Sean Hannity
The most repeated version of the story is that the two met around 1991 in Huntsville. Hannity was then hosting a talk show on local radio station WVNN, and Rhodes was writing for the city’s newspaper. He is said to have called her to ask for story ideas, and a friendship and relationship grew from those calls.
They married in January 1993, shortly before Hannity’s career moved from local radio toward national television. Hannity joined Fox News in 1996 and has hosted his weeknight show there for years, according to AOL’s report on his recent wedding.
Children: Patrick and Merri Kelly
Rhodes and Hannity have two children together: a son, Patrick, and a daughter, Merri Kelly. Both are now adults. Because they are private citizens, this article does not go into their schooling, workplaces or whereabouts, and it would be wise to be skeptical of any website that claims to know those details.
This is a recurring pattern with relatives of famous people. If you are curious how thin the public record often is, our look at Tucker Carlson’s kids shows how many “bios” for private family members are built mostly on guesswork.
The Divorce: What Is Confirmed
Rumors that the marriage had ended circulated for years, partly because Rhodes had stopped appearing at public events with Hannity. The split became public in June 2020, when representatives for both of them confirmed it. Reports say the divorce had in fact been finalized in 2019, after roughly 26 years of marriage.
The statement that accompanied the news was short and focused on the children: the two said they were committed to working together in their best interests and asked for privacy. No credible outlet has published a detailed, verified account of why the marriage ended. Pages that claim to know the “real reason” are speculating, and you should not rely on them.
It is a similar story for other people who sit near fame without seeking it. Our profile of Melanie Lynn Clapp, Johnny Knoxville’s first wife shows the same gap between what is verifiable and what spreads online.
Sean Hannity’s Remarriage in 2026
The name “Jill Rhodes” has been trending again because of her former husband’s news. In October 2026, Hannity married Fox & Friends co-host Ainsley Earhardt at a church in Palm Beach, Florida. Reporting on the wedding, such as this Yahoo Entertainment article, notes that Hannity was previously married to Rhodes from 1993 to 2019 and that they share two children.
Rhodes has not made any public statement about the wedding, and there is no reason to assume she has any role in it. Her appearance in the coverage is purely biographical.
Where Is Jill Rhodes Now?
Short answer: nobody outside her circle can say with confidence. She has kept a low profile since the divorce. There is no verified social media account, no official website and no recent interview from her. There is also no solid reporting that she has remarried.
That privacy deserves respect. Spouses of public figures, like Rebecca Olson Gupta, wife of Dr. Sanjay Gupta, often choose a quiet life, and the lack of new information is not a mystery to solve.
Why So Many Jill Rhodes Articles Contradict Each Other
If you searched for her before reading this, you probably noticed pages that disagree on basic facts. That is because many sites copy each other or generate pages automatically to catch search traffic. Common problems include:
| Claim you may see | What the evidence supports |
|---|---|
| She is “currently married to Sean Hannity” | No. The marriage ended in 2019, and Hannity remarried in 2026. |
| She is an actress or model | No reliable source supports this. She is described as a journalist. |
| She studied at Liberty University | Unsupported. Hannity received an honorary degree there, and some pages appear to have mixed this up. |
| Specific net worth, height or weight | No credible source. These figures are invented or copied from other sites. |
| A detailed “reason for the divorce” | Never publicly confirmed. |
When a biography of a private person contains exact measurements and a precise net worth but no named sources, that is usually a sign of low-quality content.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Jill Rhodes? She is a former political columnist from Alabama and the first wife of Fox News host Sean Hannity.
Are Jill Rhodes and Sean Hannity still married? No. Their divorce was finalized in 2019 and became public in June 2020. Hannity has since married Ainsley Earhardt.
How long were they married? They married in January 1993, so the marriage lasted about 26 years.
How many children do they have? Two adult children, Patrick and Merri Kelly.
Has Jill Rhodes remarried? There is no credible reporting that she has.
How old is Jill Rhodes? Many sites list a 1962 birth date, which would make her in her early 60s, but no primary source confirms it.
What is Jill Rhodes’ net worth? There is no reliable figure. Sites that publish one do not cite a source.
The Bottom Line
Jill Rhodes is a former Alabama journalist whose public footprint comes mostly from her long marriage to Sean Hannity. The solid facts are few: a journalism background, a 1993 wedding, two children and a 2019 divorce. Everything beyond that should be read with caution.
For more carefully sourced profiles of people who live near the spotlight, visit the Celebrities section of The Athens Magazine or start from our homepage.
1 thought on “Jill Rhodes: Sean Hannity’s Former Wife and What Is Actually Known About Her”