Jill Rhodes is an American former journalist and editor best known as the ex-wife of television and radio host Sean Hannity. Before their marriage, she worked as a political columnist for The Huntsville Times in Alabama. Her newspaper career brought them into contact while Hannity was building his reputation in local radio.
Rhodes and Hannity married in 1993 and had two children, Sean Patrick and Merri Kelly. Their marriage lasted approximately 26 years, ending in divorce in 2019. They publicly confirmed the separation in June 2020 through a joint statement that emphasized their commitment to their children and their continuing relationship as parents.
Quick Bio
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Jill Rhodes |
| Nationality | American |
| Reported Date of Birth | August 27, 1962 |
| Age | 64 as of November 2026, based on her reported birth date |
| Birthplace | Alabama, United States |
| Professional Background | Journalist, political columnist, and editor |
| Education | University of Alabama |
| Known For | Journalism career and former marriage to Sean Hannity |
| Former Husband | Sean Hannity |
| Marriage | 1993 to 2019 |
| Children | Sean Patrick Hannity and Merri Kelly Hannity |
| Divorce Announcement | June 2020 |
Age, Early Life, and Alabama Roots
Jill Rhodes’s birth date is commonly reported as August 27, 1962, which would make her 64 years old as of November 2026. Biographical profiles identify Alabama as her birthplace. These birth details come primarily from secondary biographies, so the exact date is best treated as reported information.
Public accounts provide relatively little detail about her childhood, parents, or siblings. Her background becomes clearer during her early adult years, when she pursued journalism and established herself in newspaper work.
By the early 1990s, Rhodes was working as a political columnist in Huntsville, Alabama. Hannity was hosting a program on nearby WVNN radio, and their professional conversations helped begin their relationship.
Education and Her Start in Journalism
Jill Rhodes attended the University of Alabama, where published biographies report that she studied journalism. Us Weekly also identifies her as a graduate of the university. Her education preceded a career in newspaper writing and editing that began before her marriage to Sean Hannity.
Her academic interests later extended beyond journalism. In October 2011, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that Rhodes was studying for a master’s degree in divinity, offering a glimpse into her continuing education during her years of family life in New York.
Working as a Political Columnist at The Huntsville Times
By the early 1990s, Rhodes was working as a political columnist for The Huntsville Times in Alabama. This newspaper position is the clearest documented part of her early journalism career and placed her in the same local media community as Hannity, who hosted a program on WVNN radio.
Hannity later praised her talent when recalling their early relationship in a 2011 Newsmax interview. His account shows that he knew her through her newspaper column before they became a couple. Their shared connection to political news provided the setting for their first contact.
Her Editing Career in Atlanta and New York
Rhodes’s newspaper career continued during the couple’s years in Atlanta. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that she worked for the Creative Loafing newspaper group while Hannity was developing his broadcasting career at WGST. Her employment there forms another part of her professional history beyond The Huntsville Times.
After their move to New York, Rhodes also worked as a book editor in Manhattan. Later reporting traced this detail to a 1998 New York Times profile of Hannity. Her career therefore included both newspaper journalism and book editing, although a detailed record of her publishing assignments is not widely available.
How Jill Rhodes Met Sean Hannity
Jill Rhodes and Sean Hannity first connected through their work in Huntsville in 1991. Hannity would telephone her to ask for story ideas for his radio program, leaving voicemail messages that caught her attention. Their early exchanges began around the news they both followed professionally.
Their courtship developed after Rhodes attended a mayoral debate Hannity had organized in 1992. Recalling that encounter, she told PEOPLE that she immediately thought, “That is the man I’m going to marry.” Hannity later repeated the story in his Newsmax interview.
When Hannity subsequently received a radio opportunity in Atlanta, he asked Rhodes to move with him. According to his account, she agreed on the condition that they become engaged first. Their relationship soon led to their marriage in 1993.
Their 1993 Wedding and Years of Marriage
Jill Rhodes and Sean Hannity married in January 1993 in Alabama. Their wedding took place during Hannity’s early radio career, several years before he joined Fox News when the network launched in 1996. The couple’s married life included years in Atlanta before their move to New York.
During their marriage, they welcomed two children and established their family home on Long Island. Their relationship lasted approximately 26 years, spanning Hannity’s rise from regional broadcasting to national television and radio. The marriage ended in divorce in 2019, although they did not publicly announce the split until June 2020.
Her Children, Sean Patrick and Merri Kelly
Jill Rhodes has two children with Hannity: Sean Patrick, born in 1998, and Merri Kelly, born in 2001. Both pursued competitive tennis and went on to play at university level, with Patrick joining Wake Forest and Merri Kelly attending Michigan. Their university biographies document these athletic paths.
Tennis was a regular part of family life while they were growing up. A 2011 profile described Hannity spending weekends taking the children to matches. When Patrick committed to Wake Forest, he publicly thanked both parents for their years of support in helping him reach his academic and sporting goals.
Sean Patrick’s Tennis Career at Wake Forest
According to Wake Forest University Athletics, Patrick joined the university’s 2017 recruiting class as a four-star prospect. He ranked among New York’s top 10 recruits and had reached the doubles final at the 2015 state high school tournament.
He entered the program in January 2017 and redshirted his first season. His university biography lists communications as his major and records subsequent appearances in singles and doubles competition. He remained on Wake Forest’s roster through the 2020–21 season.
Merri Kelly’s Tennis Career at Michigan
Merri Kelly joined Michigan’s women’s tennis program for the 2020–21 season after graduating from Cold Spring Harbor High School. Michigan described her as a five-star recruit ranked No. 41 nationally among seniors in her class and No. 4 in New York.
During the 2022–23 season, she recorded 12 singles wins and 19 doubles wins. Her achievements also included Academic All-Big Ten, Big Ten Distinguished Scholar, and CSC Academic All-District recognition. Michigan’s biography lists communication and media as her field of study, reflecting her academic work alongside competitive tennis.
Sean Hannity’s Family Dedication in Let Freedom Ring
In 2002, Sean Hannity dedicated his first book, Let Freedom Ring: Winning the War of Liberty Over Liberalism, to Jill Rhodes and their two children. In the acknowledgments, he named Jill, Patrick, and Kelly, thanking them for accepting the long working hours required to complete the project.
He also described the happiness and purpose his family brought to his life. The dedication provides a personal record of how Hannity spoke about Rhodes during their marriage, publicly acknowledging her and the children’s support as his broadcasting and publishing career expanded.
Their 2019 Divorce and 2020 Public Announcement
Yahoo reported on June 3, 2020, that the couple had finalized their divorce more than a year earlier.
Their marriage ended in 2019 after approximately 26 years. The separation had begun years before the public announcement, and their statement referred to amicable agreements reached more than four years earlier. The announcement therefore confirmed an established change in their relationship rather than marking the beginning of their separation.
Their Joint Statement on Parenting After Separation
Following their separation, Jill Rhodes and Sean Hannity emphasized their continuing responsibilities as parents. Their joint statement explained that they would cooperate in their children’s interests and maintain a close relationship as parents despite the end of their marriage.
They also requested privacy for their children and declined further public comment. Contemporary reporting described the former spouses continuing to share family dinners and attend their children’s tennis tournaments. Those accounts offered practical examples of the cooperative family relationship described in their announcement.
Life After Divorce and Her Public Profile
Jill Rhodes has maintained a low public profile since her divorce from Sean Hannity. Published accounts offer few details about her current employment or personal relationships. A 2025 profile similarly described her professional activities after the separation as largely outside public view.
Later family updates have suggested that relations between the former spouses remained friendly. When Hannity and Ainsley Earhardt announced their engagement in December 2024, they said they had informed their former spouses beforehand and continued to get along with them. This provided a later indication of the cooperative family relationship described in Rhodes and Hannity’s divorce announcement.
Career Income and Published Net Worth Estimates
Rhodes’s professional background includes newspaper journalism and editing. Her work with The Huntsville Times, the Creative Loafing newspaper group, and book publishing in New York forms the clearest documented account of her working life. Published profiles provide little detail about the salaries attached to those positions.
Online estimates of Jill Rhodes’s net worth vary substantially. Briefly has published an estimate of approximately $5 million, while Biography Tribune repeats an older figure of $55 million. These are claims made by biography websites, and neither amount should be presented as an established valuation of her personal wealth.
A dependable calculation would require information about her individual assets, debts, investments, and financial arrangements following the divorce. The published estimates do not provide that accounting, leaving their reliability uncertain. Read more celebrity profiles on AllTimeMagazine.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Jill Rhodes?
Jill Rhodes is an American former journalist and editor best known as Sean Hannity’s ex-wife and the mother of their two children.
How old is Jill Rhodes?
She is reportedly 64 as of November 2026, based on her commonly published birth date of August 27, 1962.
Where is Jill Rhodes from?
She is from Alabama, United States, where she worked in newspaper journalism before her marriage to Hannity.
Where did Jill Rhodes study?
She attended the University of Alabama, where published biographical accounts report that she studied journalism.
What did Jill Rhodes do for a living?
She worked as a political columnist for The Huntsville Times and later held editing roles, including book editing in Manhattan.
How did Jill Rhodes meet Sean Hannity?
They connected through journalism and radio work in Huntsville. Their relationship developed after she attended a mayoral debate he organized in 1992.
When did Jill Rhodes and Sean Hannity get married?
The couple married in January 1993, during Hannity’s early broadcasting career and before he joined Fox News.
How many children does Jill Rhodes have?
She has two children with Hannity: a son, Sean Patrick, and a daughter, Merri Kelly. Both played college tennis.
When did Jill Rhodes and Sean Hannity divorce?
Their divorce was finalized in 2019. They publicly confirmed it on June 3, 2020, after having separated years earlier.
Did they publicly explain why their marriage ended?
They did not disclose a specific reason in their joint statement. Their announcement emphasized cooperation as parents and privacy for their children.
Has Jill Rhodes remarried?
A remarriage has not been established by reliable public reporting. Details of her romantic life following the divorce remain private.
What is Jill Rhodes’s estimated net worth?
Briefly publishes an estimate of approximately $5 million. This is a biography website’s estimate, with insufficient financial detail to establish her actual wealth.
Conclusion: Jill Rhodes’s Journalism Career and Family Life
Jill Rhodes built a journalism career before becoming widely recognized through her marriage to Sean Hannity. Her work as a political columnist and editor remains an important part of her biography, alongside her years raising Sean Patrick and Merri Kelly.
After their 2019 divorce, the former spouses publicly emphasized their continuing cooperation as parents. Rhodes has since maintained a low public profile, with limited reporting about her present work and personal relationships. Her documented career and family history provide the clearest picture of her life.
