It isn’t uncommon for partners of celebrities and TV personalities to prefer to stay out of the spotlight. Privacy is a valuable thing, and some go to great lengths to protect it. Sherrill Sajak, Pat Sajak’s first wife, is one such example. After their divorce in 1986, she completely vanished from the public eye. Here’s what we know about the mysterious Sherrill Sajak.
Who Is Sherrill Sajak?
Sherrill James Sajak is best known as the ex-wife of American consultant and former TV host Pat Sajak. Beyond that, not much is known about her. In fact, she might just be one of the most enigmatic figures we’ve covered. We don’t know her exact birthdate, maiden name, birthplace, or whether she has siblings. All we know is that she was born around 1945, making her around 79 years old today. Beyond that, her personal details remain a mystery. Because Sherrill Sajak is unwilling to disclose his recent situation, there are limited clear photos of Sherrill Sajak that can be found.
Before meeting Pat, Sherrill had a son. His name is Mason and he was around 17 years old when he was mentioned in a 1985 article published by People. This means that he was likely born sometime between 1967 to 1968. Unsurprisingly, given Sherrill’s insistence on privacy, little is known about Mason. The article also states that Pat, Sherrill, and Mason lived in Pat’s mansion in Glendale and that Pat has adopted Mason as his own.
How Did Pat Sajak and Sherrill Sajak Meet?
Sherrill and Pat met in Nashville, Tennesse, although it’s unknown if it was due to coincidence or a work-related matter. They presumably hit it off immediately because less than a year later, they got married through a small ceremony in 1979. Back then, Pat worked as a broadcaster and weather reporter. He wasn’t as famous as he is today, but he was decently well-known since he regularly appeared on KNBC-TV Los Angeles. The marriage ceremony was a small affair, with only a select number of friends and family attending.
Many sources state that the couple were “inseparable” and that their marriage was nothing short of perfect. Sherrill didn’t appear very often on TV, which is understandable considering this was the 1980s—TV wasn’t as big back then, and celebrities were able to live a fairly private life with little to no effort. However, Pat seemed to be happy with his marriage, often smiling when talking about Sherrill.
Why Did Pat Sajak and Sherril Sajak Divorce?
In 1981, Pat started hosting the gameshow “Wheel of Fortune.” The game show was an instant hit, and suddenly, Pat became a national favorite. Normally, a star’s partner would be seen in the audience to show their support, but that hasn’t been the case with Sherrill. Not as far as we know, at least. She could’ve been one of the audience members but asked Pat not to reveal it to anyone—we can only assume. It’s also unknown if it was Sherrill’s decision to keep herself out of the spotlight or Pat’s.
Image source: Google
Pat’s rising fame led to a busy schedule, which likely impacted his ability to devote time to their relationship. Despite occasional public appearances together, they probably didn’t have much quality time as a couple. After seven years of marriage, Pat and Sherrill divorced. The reason for the separation was kept private, but Pat’s busy schedule might be a contributing factor. It’s also likely that Sherrill didn’t expect Pat to get so big and perhaps was overwhelmed by the attention her family was getting, leading to a divorce.
Regardless of the reason, Pat and Sherrill seemed to have parted in amicable terms. No major headlines broke out following their divorce, and their separation was as discreet as their marriage. However, it seems that Sherrill received full custody of Mason, as Pat rarely mentions him and he isn’t listed among Pat’s children. Following the divorce, Sherrill sold their two-story 2,600 square feet Glendale home for just under $700,000.
What Happened After the Divorce?
Image source: People
Sherrill was already a private person during her marriage to Pat, rarely making public appearances. But after their divorce, she seemed to vanish completely. Since we don’t know her maiden name, it’s near impossible to find any details of her online. We have no information about her whereabouts, what she’s doing now, or whether she remarried. There’s also no information about Mason, who likely has a different surname now.
As for Pat Sajak, he remarried three years after the divorce in 1989 to Lesley Brown (Born on February 18th, 1965; It can be concluded that Sherrill Sajak is approximately 20 years older than her ex-husband’s current spouse). Pat met Lesley Brown in 1988 through mutual friends and married her four months later on New Year’s Eve. They’re still together to this day and share two children: Patrick Michael James Sajak, born on September 22, 1990, and Maggie Sajak, born on January 5, 1995. Patrick Sajak works as a doctor, while Maggie is a television personality and country music singer.
Image source: Instagram
Wrapping Up
Sherrill Sajak is Pat Sajak’s first wife. They separated seven years into their marriage in 1986. Not much is known about Sherrill as she rarely appeared in the spotlight, despite her then-husband Pat Sajak being a famous TV personality. After the divorce, all online traces of Sherrill seemed to have disappeared. We know nearly nothing about her, including her maiden name, where she’s from, or what she’s doing now. We also don’t know about Mason, Sherrill’s biological son, from when she met Pat.
Featured image source: Google