Pat Sajak was quite content with not getting married again after his first marriage ended in divorce. When he met his second future wife, they didn't have any sparks, and he delayed taking their relationship to the next level. The woman took matters into her own hands in a way that spurred Pat to act.
In 1986, Pat Sajak divorced his first wife, Sherrill, after being married for seven years. The television game show host wasn't looking for love or a relationship when he met the woman who would become his second wife.
In 1988, the star and Lesly Brown, an aspiring actress, met at the opening of a mutual friend's sports bar in California. However, initially, it didn't seem like the pair were destined to be together.
Pat Sajak at the 13th Annual People's Choice Awards on March 15, 1987, in Santa Monica, California. | Source: Getty Images
Pat recalled how "There was no electricity in the air" when they met. Brown confirmed it by noting how the television personality didn't even come up during her car ride back home from the event.
Over the next six months, the duo went out a few times, and they spoke regularly whenever Brown returned to her homeland in Maryland. She explained their bond at the time, stating:
“He was fun and easy to talk to, but it wasn’t romantic.”
Pat Sajak at Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on November 28, 1985. | Source: Getty Images
The "Wheel of Fortune" star also supported her notions revealing, "Often the calls were, 'Well, I have to hang up now. I'm going out on a date.'" By 1989, in springtime, it was clear that more was happening with them.
However, none of them were willing to make an obvious move. Little did Pat and Brown know things were about to turn around for the best for both of them in a way they didn't anticipate.
LESLY MADE PAT JEALOUS
Lesly Brown and Pat Sajak at the "Toys for Tots Benefit" on December 12, 1990, in Beverly Hills, California. | Source: Getty Images
Before Brown met Pat, she'd appeared on "The Dating Game" and had to collect her winnings by traveling to Mexico. However, she was accompanied by a chaperon, a handsome bachelor who chose her from the show; speaking to People in 1990, Pat confessed:
“Frankly, I was a little annoyed at that."
Pat Sajak at the "Maid In Manhattan" world premiere at The Ziegfeld Theatre, in New York City on December 8, 2002. | Source: Getty Images
That incident was the momentum that was necessary to remove any stalling in Brown and Pat's relationship. Teasing Pat during the People interview, Brown admitted, "There was definitely borderline jealousy. That was good."
When she returned from her trip, the television personality flew east. Suddenly Pat finally realized, "I knew she was the woman I wanted to spend the rest of my life with."
Lesly Brown and Pat Sajak at the premiere of "Radio" in Beverly Hills, California, on October 14, 2003. | Source: Getty Images
When he arrived in Los Angeles, he confided to a longtime friend, Dan Miller, that he planned to marry Brown. Miller couldn't believe what he was hearing and jokingly took his friend's temperature and asked him if he was Pat's evil twin!
True to his word, when Labor Day arrived, the star put a three-carat-plus marquise-shaped diamond on Brown's finger! Four months after the proposal, Miller served as his best man as he and his bride tried the knot at a 19th-century Catholic church.
Lesly Brown and Pat Sajak at the premiere of "Mr. Saturday Night" on September 22, 1992, in Hollywood, California. | Source: Getty Images
The couple had an old-fashioned ceremony in 1989 after almost a year of skirting around with the priest making the bride vow to be one who was "silent and keeps a clean house." After the ceremony, Pat laughed about the vows, saying:
“Lesly swore to keep quiet and clean the toilet every day. I thought he should say a word about Mop & Glo.”
Pat Sajak and Lesly Brown at the ninth annual Fire and Ice Ball Benefit on December 9, 1998, in Universal City, California. | Source: Getty Images
The reception was held under a white tent behind Brown's parents' two-story home outside Annapolis. Guests were entertained with music and snacked on ham, biscuits, and egg rolls.
Even though there was a 19-year age difference, with Pat being older, Brown's family, including her sisters, Wendy and Kelly, were happy to have the star as a new family member. The bride's father, Michael, was thrilled to have a boy in his family.
Pat Sajak and Lesly Brown at the "Pat Sajak Receives Walk of Fame Star" on February 10, 1994, at the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Hollywood, California. | Source: Getty Images
Michael joked about giving Pat a small car for Christmas and that he would gift him with an electric train the following year! Touching on his dentistry background, the bride's father joked about the celebrity having "gorgeous teeth."
The bride's mother, Maria, confessed that they didn't watch television much and joked about how that wouldn't change just because Pat was their son-in-law. She revealed that the family preferred decorating their home or reading.
The star's co-host on "Wheel of Fortune," Vanna White, couldn't help but cry during the wedding. She laughed when it was hinted that she and Pat would've made a great couple, noting how they were just platonic.
White also shared how her friend's marriage wasn't going to change the relationship they had. The co-star said they'd continue seeing each other and that Brown was welcome to join them because she wasn't jealous of their bond.
THROUGH THICK AND THIN
By 2022, Pat and Brown had married more than 32 years! During their marriage, the couple welcomed two children; on September 22, 1990, their son, Patrick Sajak Jr., was born, and their daughter, Maggie Sajak, joined on January 5, 1995.
The Sajak's firstborn child has had several rare appearances on his father's game show. However, Patrick generally chose to live his life out of the spotlight and qualified as a doctor in May 2021.
His father proudly revealed the news during a "Wheel of Fortune" episode! On the other hand, Maggie loves being in the limelight and has become a country singer, television personality, and model!
He'd [Pat Sajak] had a health crisis that required him to undergo emergency surgery to repair a blocked intestine.
Besides her father's game show, the star's daughter has featured on "Good Morning America" and "On the Streets." In July 2013, Pat's daughter debuted a new music video for her track "Wild Boy."
However, most recently, it seems Maggie has opted for a different career as she became a law student. She also hoped to join her brother in the medical field by becoming a doctor but admitted that she loved music and medicine and would do both.
Pat's youngest child has a lot on her plate as she also worked as a social correspondent on her father's show. In September 2021, it was revealed that Maggie would be the online host of the game show, running its social media accounts and more.
In December 2019, Pat had his first interview with "Good Morning America" since his November surgery. He'd had a health crisis that required him to undergo emergency surgery to repair a blocked intestine.
The star said he was doing much better and was feeling "great." Pat initially felt an "excruciating" pain in his stomach before being taken to the hospital, where he suffered until he was given something to alleviate things.
The pain suddenly subsided, and he saw "beautiful pastels and lovely faces coming out of it." He could hear his wife and daughter talking, but they seemed far away, and he thought to himself, "'this must be death. This must be what death is like.'"
However, he didn't die and was able to get back to tip-top shape! Pat has since returned to his beloved role as the "Wheel of Fortune's" host with his trusted aide, White, by his side.
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