Pat Sajak’s Daughter Is Following His Footsteps In Hollywood

Back in 1996 Pat welcomed a very special guest on Wheel of Fortune. Yep, it was Maggie! She made her small-screen bow as a baby, and her dad couldn’t have been prouder when showing her off to the audience. The host said, “Come on kid! Well, how you doing kiddo? She’s speaking baby, you can’t quite understand this. She just turned one year old.”

Considering that her dad has hosted Wheel of Fortune since the 1980s it shouldn’t be too surprising that Maggie’s bagged a position on the show. She’s a “social correspondent.” As for what that entails, Pat’s daughter had this to say in the announcement. She beamed, “I’m excited about the opportunity to bring an insider’s look at the show with new behind-the-scenes features, interviews, videos, and insights.”

While Pat made his name on TV, Maggie had eyes on a different profession when she was a youngster. What was it? Well, the future social correspondent developed a passion for music. In fact, after turning 12, Maggie grabbed a guitar for the first time and learned how to play it. And the skills that she picked up came in very handy a few years later...

After getting into music as a young kid, Maggie continued to hone and develop her passion during her teenage years. But then, as a 16 year old, she shared her skills with the world. Yes, Pat’s daughter dropped her debut single at that stage. It’s called “First Kiss.” And things got even better the following year. You see, the song’s music video was aired during a 2012 Wheel of Fortune episode. 

Maggie didn’t exactly grow up in a country music hotbed — she lived in Maryland with her family. But the genre eventually got her attention thanks to Pat. As it turns out, when the TV legend worked at a Nashville news station in Tennessee many years ago, he fell in love with the music. So, country songs were always playing throughout Maggie’s childhood. That’s how she caught the bug.

After mastering the guitar at a young age, as well as dropping a single as a teen, you’d forgive Maggie if she just stuck to what she knew. Yet the musician broadened her skills as time went on. Writing on her website, Maggie revealed, “I also play piano, mandolin, and ukulele. My love of performing, recording, and writing has grown so much and now I’m just working to make my dreams come true!”

While Maggie hasn’t been afraid to put herself in the spotlight, that’s not the case with her older brother. Patrick Sajak Jr. has never been one to bask in the fame that comes with his surname. He avoids media gatherings with his family in a bid to keep his personal life private. As for work, Patrick Jr. plies his trade in medicine. 

When the time came to shoot the music video for “First Kiss,” few could’ve predicted who’d take on the directing duties. Yep, Trey Fanjoy was recruited to bring it to life. Now in case you didn’t know, he’s a CMT Music Award-winner. So Maggie was receiving direction from one of the best: not a bad place to start!

While visiting patients at Baltimore’s Johns Hopkins Hospital, Maggie met a teenager named Muriel Walters, who was battling pediatric cancer. The duo formed a lovely bond, which inspired Pat’s daughter to pen a special song for her new friend in 2013. It was called “Live Out Loud.” Once the track dropped, Maggie also ensured that all profits from it went towards cancer research.

Alongside her musical aspirations, Maggie had her eye on another potential career path when she was younger, too. Yep, she seriously considered becoming a model. It even got to the stage where the country singer posed for a Teen Vogue photoshoot, which had a college theme. She was a big fan of the “punk look” on that project — a far cry from her fashion choices today!

Given the success that she enjoyed as a teenager, you wouldn’t have blamed Maggie for solely focusing on her music once high school came to an end. But that didn’t happen. Instead, she enrolled at Princeton University and took pre-med classes. “Princeton was my dream school,” the singer informed CMT. “So I thought I’d lay the groundwork for med school while I’m in college.”

As Maggie’s star began to rise on the country music scene, she opened up accounts on both Instagram and Twitter. Not long after that, though, Pat’s daughter decided to shut down the latter and barely used the former. Speaking in 2012 to Country Music Treehouse, she noted that she didn’t want her career and personal life to intertwine online. Yet today, she’s a lot more active on social media.

Towards the end of 2019 Pat had to step away from Wheel of Fortune for a spell after getting admitted to hospital. His long-time colleague Vanna White took over the hosting gig while he was gone. But who’d fill her own shoes as the show’s letter-turner? Yes, you guessed it — Maggie accepted the responsibility. It was the first time she’d popped up on the program since she was a baby.

Once Maggie had confirmed that she’d be stepping in for White on Wheel of Fortune, the letter-turner then traveled to her house. Speaking to Yahoo! Entertainment, Pat’s daughter noted, “She gave me a little tutorial of how to press the letters. She was so gracious in teaching me, and she had a big job to do that week too, filling in for my dad. I’m really glad we were able to do that together.”

With her guest appearance in the bag, Maggie revealed how Pat had responded to the whole situation. She told Yahoo! Entertainment, “He was really glad that it was something that we could keep in the family, because it was a crazy time. He had this emergency that happened and so there was a lot going on. So to be able to simplify it and keep it all rolling, I think he was really thankful for that.”

When Maggie was finding her voice as a country music artist, she had a lot of influences. Chatting with website Sounds Like Nashville, the singer said that Emmylou Harris, Dolly Parton, and Tammy Wynette were all up there. Yet one more name played an even bigger role. She revealed, “I’ve always really liked Jewel’s style, and a Jewel song is one of the first I learned to play on guitar.”

Despite having a fairly full plate at the time, Maggie told website Self in 2013 that she absolutely loved exercising, and she didn’t let her daily tasks get in the way of it. The future Wheel of Fortune social correspondent said, “I always feel so refreshed and energized after a workout. It gives me energy and focus to do any other work I have that day.”

In addition to the music video, Maggie’s song “First Kiss” went on to appear on a couple of TV soundtracks as well. The track was used in Our Wild Hearts, a 2013 Hallmark Movie Channel special, and an episode of Sweet Home Alabama. She also has another soundtrack credit for the 2016 film Jessica Darling’s It List.

Even though Maggie enjoyed great success at the start of her musical career, she didn’t know if she had a future in the industry. The same could be said for her medical aspirations, too. Pat’s daughter informed CMT, “Neither one, medicine… [nor] country music, is my fall-back plan. I just love them both, so I’ll keep doing both and see where that takes me.”

Following her stint at Princeton University, Maggie made a surprising decision. Instead of going to med school straight away as per her earlier intentions, the singer instead apparently started at law school. Only time will tell if her latest adventure will evolve into a full-blown future career. Clearly, she'll always have her dad's hosting gig to fall back on — or maybe she'll follow in her mother's footsteps instead!

Sajak’s been on hosting duties for the famous Wheel since 1981. And as of 2022, he’s still going strong. Co-starring with him on the show is hostess Vanna White, who joined a year after Sajak signed up. While many might think they’re an item, or that some romantic entanglement happened in the past, this isn’t the case.

His true partner in life is Lesly Brown. She isn’t a famous personality like Sajak but has been a constant at his side for decades. The pair have been snapped frequently at public events over the years, and it’s clear those smiles of theirs are genuine. While some may have initially been skeptical about the relationship, due to the 18-year age gap, the chemistry still endures.

One factor behind their long union appears to be a sense of tradition. Sources state they have what might be described as an old-fashioned relationship. Sajak’s the man of the house, who goes out and earns a crust. Well, actually it’s a little more than a crust! Brown has a successful career of her own yet reportedly does the household chores.

The couple live in both Maryland and California. Sajak needs to be in the Golden State for work, whereas Maryland seems to have a special place for Brown. She studied TV production at the University of Maryland a couple of years before crossing paths with her future husband. Brown also wanted to go to law school before ultimately focusing on motherhood.

Sajak’s largely defined by his iconic role hosting Wheel of Fortune. But before that he was a host of a different kind, fronting a radio show as part of the U.S. Army. Against the backdrop of the Vietnam War, Sajak brought listeners broadcasts over the American Forces Vietnam Network. His predecessor was DJ Adrian Cronauer, whose name might also be familiar.

That’s because Cronauer was played by Robin Williams in the movie Good Morning Vietnam. Sajak’s always been the perfect host. That said, there’s more to him than asking questions and keeping the mood light. He also devises games, writes, and lends his vocal talents to high-profile projects. In 2021, for instance, he voiced a musical bust in Muppets Haunted Mansion.

So, how did he meet Mrs Right? Well, Sajak was originally married to his now-ex Sherrill between 1979 and 1986. But after seven years of sharing his life with her, he wanted a break and planned some time as a singleton. Things didn’t go the way he expected, though. Fast-forward a couple of years and he met Lesly at a restaurant owned by a mutual friend.

Did Sajak sweep this younger lady off her feet, then? Yes, apparently! Yet while she was reportedly keen to pursue a relationship, he held back, shy of another serious commitment. Other sources claim that neither made a first move. What’s clear is that for a period of time they became good friends, though Sajak and Brown reportedly knew things wouldn’t stay that way.

It was only a matter of time before matters got serious. The question was: when? Well, it turns out the small screen would play a key role in motivating Sajak. He may be famous as the host of Wheel of Fortune but when it comes to TV entertainment, it obviously isn’t the only game in town. The Dating Game was another popular program in its day.

And before she met Sajak, Brown had won a trip to Mexico after appearing on The Dating Game. She decided to accept the prize — after all, it wasn’t like she had something going with Sajak, right? Yet the long-established expression “absence makes the heart grow fonder” proved to be more than true in this case, as he realized what he was missing. He had to act fast.

Here was a beautiful younger woman, a former Miss Georgetown who’d also posed for Playboy, and he was potentially letting her slip through his fingers. To probably no-one’s surprise, he made a move shortly after she got back. Even then, though, he bided his time a little, even if it was only a matter of weeks before he popped the question. They wed on New Year’s Eve 1989.

Now, this pair were obviously in love but appearances matter for some people. Pat Sajak was in his early 40s and Brown in her early 20s. He wouldn’t have been the first TV star to marry someone considerably younger than himself. So, did they receive any flak for getting together, despite an age gap that spanned around two decades, give or take?

Well, it doesn’t look that way — and a couple of people in particular seemed to take it in their stride. Who are we talking about? Lesly Brown’s parents! Surprising as it sounds, Mom and Pop Brown took to Pat the way viewers took to his assured hosting of Wheel of Fortune. Could it be that his compelling onscreen personality charmed them into submission?

Actually no, that wasn’t the case. Turned out the Brown family home is more of a reading household than a place where the TV blares morning, noon, and night. So Sajak couldn’t rely on his fame to smooth anything over. They apparently judged him on his character, rather than the image he projects into millions of American homes each week.

Brown’s father even joked about the set-up to the media. “I finally have a boy in the family,” he said. “I gave him a little car for Christmas and next year I am going to give him an electric train.” Whether Sajak played with his train or not, he’d arguably had a break luckier than any you might get on TV.

Angry stares across the dinner table were avoided, it seems. Which is probably just as well. It hasn’t always been plain sailing for Sajak, of course. For example, his comments to Vanna White during an April 2022 episode of Wheel of Fortune raised eyebrows and drew criticism. So, just what did he say to rile people up?

Sajak asked if she was an “opera buff”. That’s it? No, the exchange continued. He asked White an unwelcome follow-up question: “Have you ever watched opera in the buff?” Was this a flirtatious remark? An off the cuff yet totally tone deaf quip? That’s the thing about TV. Once you say it, it’s out there and being talked about.

Safe to say, then, that despite high ratings Sajak isn’t riding high reputation-wise. Regardless, Wheel of Fortune has retained his and White’s services till 2024, so it’ll be interesting to see if these stories keep spinning. In the meantime, Sajak and Brown’s relationship still appears rock solid. In fact, she’s stood by him in both good times and bad.

A particularly bad experience rocked the family’s world during 2019, when Sajak had a medical emergency. He experienced severe pain that was identified as coming from a blocked intestine. Sajak then went into surgery, where thankfully everything went well. Still, he did feel something profound while lying in his hospital bed, when his eyes were closed but his ears were open.

He could hear the voices of Brown and his daughter, country music singer Maggie Marie, though Sajak got the impression he was on his way to the afterlife. Like everyone in his precarious position, Sajak had been under the influence of prescribed — and rather potent — drugs and wasn’t thinking straight. Yet, as he mentioned to Good Morning America, the sense of his possible demise was powerful.

“I thought, ‘Boy, their lives are gonna change now.’” he said. “And I felt badly for them.” In his eyes, Sajak was about to leave this mortal plane. He added, “I didn’t feel badly about dying. I felt badly that they were gonna have to deal with the aftermath.” They never had to in the end, of course, thankfully.

Sajak resumed his career, though producers needed to work around his absence in the meantime. Vanna White took over hosting duties during this difficult period. So, who’d be hostess to the new host? Well, it became a family affair, with Maggie Marie stepping in to flip the famous letters. Also, in a bizarre twist, Disney characters occasionally took on the role. Disney characters?

This move was due to Wheel of Fortune having Christmas specials that required them, rather than being some strange, arbitrary decision! Of course, Brown’s featured on the show over the years, too. How about her and Pat’s son, Patrick, though? Well, while Patrick isn’t in showbusiness, he did make a memorable appearance on Wheel of Fortune with Maggie Marie back when they were kids.

We guess that seeing his father day in day out on national TV proved more than enough for Patrick! Whatever their son’s views, Sajak and Brown clearly have a strong family bond that exists both onscreen and off. So, in exploring the lives of this enduring couple, what have we learned about their long-running marriage? Quite a lot, it would appear.

Aside from the happy marriage reportedly being a traditional arrangement, it’s also fueled by deeply held feelings and light-hearted but mutual respect. Plus, at the end of the day the two of them kept calm and didn’t rush headlong into anything, it seems. They were friends who got to know each other first. And Brown elaborated on this when talking to People.

“He was fun and easy to talk to,” Brown said. “But it wasn’t romantic.” Typically, a marriage is all romance before the chemistry fizzles out. In this case, though, a platonic interaction gradually gave way to something more passionate. “I knew she was the woman I wanted to spend the rest of my life with,” Sajak commented. It took The Dating Game to convince him, of course!

Having children while managing creative and demanding jobs all became part of the success story. So, Sajak and Brown were friends first, shared the same values and took their responsibilities as spouses and parents seriously. Their partnership has also survived in spite of Sajak being constantly in the public eye, another important factor to take into account when assessing the relationship.

A middle-aged game show host and a young graduate may not sound like the stuff of long-lasting contentment. But Pat Sajak and Lesly Brown have certainly made it work. The road ahead probably looks a little uncertain at present, yet the pair operate from a solid, highly supportive base, so they’ll surely go on doing what they do best — side by side.