‘Take Care of My Baby Girl’: Ainsley Earhardt’s Father’s Words to Sean Hannity at Their Private Wedding Will Warm Your Heart!

On a crisp December evening in 2024, the soft glow of Christmas lights illuminated a small, private church in Florida, where Fox News hosts Sean Hannity and Ainsley Earhardt exchanged vows in an intimate wedding ceremony. Among the handful of close family members present was Ainsley’s father, Lewie Wayne Earhardt, a man whose Southern charm and deep love for his daughter had shaped her into the woman she is today. As the ceremony concluded and the couple prepared to step into their new life together, Lewie pulled Hannity aside for a quiet moment that would leave a lasting impression. With a firm handshake and a voice thick with emotion, he said, “Take care of my baby girl.” But it was the sentence that followed that brought tears to Hannity’s eyes: “She’s always been my little light, and I know you’ll keep her shining.”

The wedding marked a significant milestone for Hannity, 63, and Earhardt, 48, who had been quietly dating for over five years before announcing their engagement on December 26, 2024. The couple, often dubbed “the first couple of Fox” by colleagues, had bonded over their shared Christian faith, a cornerstone of their relationship that made the church setting the perfect place for both their engagement and wedding. Hannity, a primetime star who joined Fox News when it debuted in 1996, and Earhardt, a co-host of Fox & Friends since 2016, had navigated a long-distance relationship between Florida and New York with grace, supported by their mutual respect for each other’s careers. Their children—Hannity’s two from his previous marriage to Jill Rhodes, and Earhardt’s daughter, Hayden, from her marriage to Will Proctor—were present at the wedding, their joy evident as they celebrated the union.

Lewie Wayne Earhardt, a retired educator from South Carolina, had always been a pillar of strength for Ainsley. Born in Spartanburg, South Carolina, Ainsley grew up in a close-knit family, moving to the Foxcroft area of Charlotte, North Carolina, as a young child before settling in Columbia. Her father instilled in her a strong sense of faith and resilience, values that guided her through a career that took her from local news in Columbia to the national stage at Fox News. Lewie was there for every milestone—her graduation from the University of South Carolina with a degree in journalism, her first job at WLTX, and her move to New York in 2007 to join Fox News. He was also there during her struggles, including two divorces and the challenges of single motherhood after her 2018 split from Proctor.

The wedding was a deeply personal affair, held away from the public eye, a choice that reflected the couple’s desire for privacy despite their high-profile careers. Earhardt, who has been open about her faith on Fox & Friends, wore a simple yet elegant white gown, while Hannity opted for a classic black suit. The church, adorned with poinsettias and flickering candles, was the same one where Hannity had proposed just days earlier, a moment Earhardt later described on Fox & Friends as a beautiful surprise. “I thought we were going to a meeting,” she recounted, “but we pulled up to the church instead. We sat on the front pew, reflected on our lives, and he walked me to the altar and got down on one knee.”

Lewie’s words to Hannity carried the weight of a father entrusting his daughter to another man, a moment made even more poignant by his health struggles in recent years. In April 2025, Earhardt shared a heartwarming Instagram video celebrating her father’s first cousin’s 90th birthday, where Lewie appeared alongside her and Hayden. The video, set to the song We Are Family, showed a tender moment of Hayden drawing in a notebook during a church service, a reminder of the family values Lewie had passed down. Ainsley’s caption read, “Another great weekend with family in FL and SC. Happy 90th Birthday to my dad’s first cousin,” highlighting the close bond she maintains with her father despite her demanding schedule.

Hannity, known for his fiery on-air persona, was visibly moved by Lewie’s words. The veteran host, who has interviewed presidents and hosted the longest-running cable news show in history, found himself at a loss for words. “I’ve faced tough interviews, but that moment hit me harder than anything,” Hannity later shared on his Fox Nation show Sean, which debuted earlier in 2025. “Lewie’s trust in me, and the way he spoke about Ainsley—it was a reminder of the responsibility I’m taking on, not just as a husband but as a partner to someone who means the world to her family.”

Earhardt’s journey to this moment had not been without its challenges. Her first marriage to Kevin McKinney in 2005 ended in 2009, shortly after she joined Fox News. She then married Will Proctor in 2012, welcoming their daughter Hayden in 2015 after a heartbreaking miscarriage. The couple’s 2018 divorce, amid rumors of Proctor’s infidelity (which he denied), left Earhardt to navigate single motherhood while co-hosting Fox & Friends. She often spoke about the difficulties of balancing her career with raising Hayden, telling People in 2019, “I have my dream job in the morning, and most of that is done when Hayden is sleeping, so I’m not missing out on her life.” Her faith, instilled by her father, carried her through those tough times, as did the support of colleagues like Hannity, who became a close friend before their relationship turned romantic.

The wedding also highlighted the couple’s commitment to their children. Hayden, now nine, was a central part of the ceremony, holding her mother’s hand as they walked down the aisle. Hannity’s children, Patrick and Merri, stood by his side, their presence a testament to the blended family they’ve created. “Our kids couldn’t be happier,” the couple told Fox News after their engagement, a sentiment that was clear as the children laughed and danced together at the reception.

Lewie’s words lingered in the air as the evening unfolded, a quiet reminder of the love and trust that binds families together. For Ainsley, hearing her father call her his “little light” was a reflection of the nickname she’s often used for Hayden—“the light of my life.” It was a full-circle moment, connecting her childhood with her own journey as a mother, now stepping into a new chapter with Hannity by her side. For Hannity, the responsibility of caring for Ainsley, a woman who has faced personal and professional challenges with grace, became a promise he vowed to keep.

As the couple prepares to continue their long-distance marriage—Earhardt in New York with Hayden, and Hannity in Florida—they carry with them the blessing of a father who has always wanted the best for his daughter. The special moment between Lewie and Hannity, shared in the glow of a Christmas wedding, will undoubtedly be a memory they cherish as they build their life together, guided by faith, family, and the enduring light of love.