Sean Hannity and his wife of over 20 years, Jill Rhodes, reportedly quietly divorced over a year ago. The news was published by People last night. The pair also noted that they entered into a separation just over four years ago.
In their joint statement, the pair wrote, "Sean and Jill are committed to working together for the best interests of their children. Amicable agreements were entered into over four years ago between Sean and Jill. They maintain a close relationship as parents to their children. Neither will have any further comments and ask for sake of their children that their privacy be respected."
Sean and Jill have two children between them: a son named Patrick and a daughter named Merri Kelley.
While they declined to give any further details about the nature of their split, Sean Hannity is one of the 262 "celebrities, politicians, CEOs, and others who have been accused of sexual misconduct since April 2017," according to Vox. Sean has also been quite a vocal proponent of authorities whom other Americans have roundly questioned in recent years, which may or may not have something to do with the split.
In April 2017, Sean Hannity "flatly denied" the claim of sexual misconduct that was brought against him by Debbie Schlussel. In a statement, he noted, "This individual has a history of making provably false statements against me in an effort to slander, smear and besmirch my reputation."
"The individual has not just slandered me over the years but many people who this individual disagrees with. This individual desperately seeks attention by any means necessary, including making unfounded personal attacks and using indefensible and outrageous political rhetoric."
However, it's worth noting that Debbie Schlussel is a lawyer, and at the very least understood the weight of coming forward with her accusation. She told NBC News, "He's not going to sue me. It wouldn't be a smart idea. If he did, it could spur other people to come forward and he wouldn't want that."
While she did not share details of other possible cases, she also made an important note: Sean Hannity used the term "sexual harassment," not her. "Sexual harassment has a special meaning under the law, and I would never accuse him of that. What I experienced was a pattern of creepy and inappropriate behavior from Sean."
The "creepy" behavior allegedly includes commentary on everything from Debbie's hair color to her clothing. "I am a fake blond and he got really upset. Then he started arguing with me about my pants size. I said they were size 2, and he said they were a 4. It was just creepy. I mean, who does that?"
Debbie also told KFAQ radio in Tusla, Oklahoma, that Sean reportedly made a pass at her while they attended a book signing. NBC reported, "Hannity repeatedly asked her to come to his hotel with him during a book signing event and a broadcast of his radio show in Detroit. She says Hannity called her after the show and yelled at her. She says 'it was made clear to me that I didn't go back to his hotel with him after.'"
She has also alleged that professional slights were leveled against her following the book signing. "Before that happened, he said I would be a regular guest on his show. After I said I wouldn't go to his hotel, I was blacklisted from Fox News. I just made a couple more appearances, and not on his show. That was it."
Jill Rhodes is a journalist in her own right. She graduated from the University of Alabama with a journalism degree, but she has mostly worked on Sean Hannity's show instead of pursuing a separate career path. She worked for The Huntsville Times for a while before she and Sean got married.
She and Sean met in Alabama and ended up moving to New York as he pursued his career. He has also previously mentioned that his ex-wife is actually the "brains" behind many of the ideas he has pursued and been successful at professionally.
While there aren't a lot of details available about why the couple separated four years ago before divorcing, it probably comes as no surprise that there are plenty of ideas on the internet. Many are speculating that events in the United States around the time of their separation may have impacted the decision.
