Vanna White Reportedly Demanding “The Same Pay – if Not More” Than Pat Sajak in Tense ‘Wheel of Fortune’ Contract Negotiations

Wheel of Fortune co-host Vanna White is still fighting for her first raise in years.

Previous reports claimed she lawyered up ahead of her contract renewal to negotiate a new salary in light of Pat Sajak‘s impending retirement in 2024. But a source close to the matter is shutting down claims that she is asking for just 50 percent of Sajak’s salary, as previous reports have stated.

“50 percent of Pat’s salary is so outrageous that no one in their right mind could say that it’s fair,” a source recently told People. “The negotiation is asking for much more than 50 percent of his salary. It’s asking for the same pay — if not more.”

The rumors are true, however; the longtime Wheel co-host hasn’t received a raise in almost 18 years. The source confirmed that White has been making $3 million a year for some time now.

Recent reports claiming White agreed to $100,000 per episode on Celebrity Wheel of Fortune are “not correct at all,” the source continued. Sajak was reportedly making $300,000 to $400,000 per episode on the series.

Additionally, a previous report from Puck News claimed Sony initially offered White a 20 percent raise to $66,000 per episode, from the $55,000 she was previously making.

“Vanna was told, ‘If you fight this, you will lose your job. You’re lucky to have the job.’ And when people tell you that for so long, you believe it,'” the source said.

White’s lawyer, Bryan Freedman, is allegedly arguing that their pay discrepancies possibly count as gender discrimination.

According to TMZ, Sony refused to hire a third party to evaluate White’s role on the show in order to propose a “fair figure.” The company allegedly doesn’t want to use Sajak’s salary as a benchmark for White because they already felt he was making too much by the end of his tenure on the show.

TMZ also reported that White’s negotiations with Sony are becoming “very difficult” as she continues to stick to her guns. A source claimed White may even be ready to walk from the show if the company doesn’t offer her “a minimum of what is fair.”

This comes just months after White told People that she wasn’t ready to leave the game show behind, even after 41 years of turning letters.

“I don’t even want to think about that. I mean, we’re a team,” she said. “We’re like Ken and Barbie, you know? We’ve been in everybody’s homes for 40 years, so it would be weird having somebody else turn my letters.”

Wheel of Fortune airs on weeknights at 7:30/6:30c. Find local listings on the Wheel of Fortune website.