Fox News stars Sean Hannity and Ainsley Earhardt have announced that they are engaged after he popped the question to his fellow on-screen host over the Christmas break.
Hannity, 62, and Earhardt, 48, have been quietly dating for several years now; however, they do their best to maintain as much privacy as possible when it comes to their romance—which was first made public in 2020.
But when it came to the latest development in their years-long coupling, the pair couldn’t resist sharing their joy with the world—revealing a few intimate details of the proposal with Fox News.According to the outlet, longtime on-air host Hannity—who films his eponymous show from his $23.5 million home in Florida—got down on bended knee at the couple’s shared church, which they described as the “perfect place” for such a poignant moment.
“We are overjoyed and so thankful to our families for all of their love and support during this wonderful time in our lives,” the pair said in a statement, adding that they both received the blessing of their respective children, who “couldn’t be happier” for them.
Hannity has two children with ex-wife Jill Rhodes—son Sean Jr. and daughter Merri—while Earhardt has a daughter, Hayden, with her ex-spouse, Will Proctor.
The duo explained to Fox News that they initially bonded over their shared faith, which made the church setting all the more significant in their betrothal. They also met with their minister after Hannity had popped that oh, so important question.
But while the pair have cemented their commitment to one another with the engagement, they are planning to continue living separately, they revealed, with Hannity residing in his newly purchased Florida mansion, while Earhardt will remain in New York, where she films the hit morning show, “Fox & Friends.”
Hannity, who also hosts a national radio show in addition to his Fox News show, announced in January that he would be upping sticks from his longtime home in New York to move to his property in Palm Beach, FL, from where he planned to record both his TV and radio appearances.
The on-air personality purchased his 3,800-square-foot Florida property in 2021 for $5.3 million—but had only ever used it as a vacation home before opting to “leave New York for good” in order to pursue his “freedom.”
Then, in December, he was revealed as the buyer of a jaw-dropping $23.5 million estate in Manalapan, FL, having snapped up the extravagant waterfront megamansion just 10 months after announcing he was relocating permanently to the Sunshine State from New York.
His new property is a 30-minute drive from Palm Beach proper and boasts an impressive eight bedrooms and 10.5 bathrooms, as well as 1.86 acres of waterfront land.
The home—which was listed by Gary Pohrer and Nick Malinosky, of The Exclusive Group at Douglas Elliman—was originally built in 1990. It has undergone several renovations since it last traded hands in 2021, according to its listing.
These updates include “new flooring, all new bathrooms; new impact sliders; and a new cooler unit in wine room.”
Perhaps its most alluring quality, however, is its plum spot on the barrier island of Manalapan, which ensures close proximity to the beach, plenty of privacy, and staggering views of the water at all hours of the day.
The home was certainly designed with water fanatics in mind, offering a “resort-style” heated swimming pool, a large private dock, and a private beach house.
Meanwhile, Earhardt is understood to reside in an apartment on New York City’s Upper East Side, although it appears that she and daughter Hayden may have spent Christmas with Hannity in Florida, judging by her Instagram account.
Sharing a few glimpses inside her festive celebrations, including a Christmas tree made out of surf boards, and a picture of herself and Hannity posing with Santa, the “Fox & Friends” host wrote: “Merry Christmas. Happy Birthday, Jesus. 2024 has been a very special year.”
It is unclear whether Hannity moved into his new home immediately after his Nov. 26 closing, or if he was planning to complete his own work on the property until it meets his living standards.
What is certain is that the Fox News host has no immediate plans to return to New York any time soon, having first revealed in January that he was “done” with the state forever.
“I’ve been threatening now to do this for quite a while, but we are now beginning our first broadcast from my new home and that is in the free state of Florida,” Hannity said during a January episode of his iHeartRadio show. “I am out. I am done. I’m finished.”
The outspoken conservative explained that the motivation for his move down south came from his dislike of the political policies implemented by representatives in New York, explaining that he felt much more aligned with those adopted by leaders in Florida.
“Finally, for the first time that I can think of in my adult life, I actually have representatives in the state that I’m living in that share my values,” he went on. “Like so many Americans, I left New York for good and am now in the state with, let’s see: warmer weather, law and order, better education, more freedom, better quality of life – and guess what? No state income tax.”
Hannity cut ties with the state of New York once and for all in June, when he sold his picture-prefect Oyster Bay estate for $12.7 million, 16 years after he purchased the waterfront property for $8.5 million.
The TV host listed the residence in early May for $13.75 million. The palatial property, which was sold fully furnished, quickly sparked a bidding war and was under contract within seven days.
