Sean Hannity's Cheesy Nickname For Ainsley Earhardt Highlights Their Age Gap

Many couples have cutesy pet names for each other, such as "Kitten," "Sugar," or "Pookie," and Sean Hannity and Ainsley Earhardt are no exception. The conservative news couple announced their engagement in December 2024, and the internet couldn't help but notice the glaring elephant in the room: their age gap that gives major Karoline Leavitt vibes.

There's even more fodder for netizens to raise their eyebrows at when it comes to Hannity and Earhardt's romance. In a July 2025 interview with the Daily Mail, Earhardt revealed more about her relationship, including what Hannity calls her. His nickname for her is "Sunshine." Hannity told the outlet that he chose the moniker for two reasons: Earhardt "wakes up America," and she is constantly smiling.

It's a sweet sentiment, and Hannity's reasons for picking that name make sense, but it still sounds like something a grandfather would call his elementary school-aged grandchild — which does not help Hannity seem any younger. The couple is 15 years apart, which, compared to other celebrity relationships, isn't the biggest age gap, but it's still a large difference. Because Hannity was born in 1961 and Earhardt in 1976, they are actually part of two different generations. Hannity is a Baby Boomer, while his "Sunshine" is part of Gen X.

Unfortunately, Sean Hannity's cute-but-archaic nickname for Ainsley Earhardt is only one way the couple's age-gap relationship is put on display. Another major factor is pretty much any photo they take together, but some snapshots make it more painfully obvious than others. One example is when Earhardt shared a carousel to Instagram on the day their engagement was announced. The third photo gave serious daddy-daughter road trip vibes, instead of a happily engaged couple excited for the next chapter of their lives together.

There's also a chance that Earhardt, who has been married twice already, may eventually become unhappy with the relationship, based on a study shared by Psychology Today in June 2025. The findings concluded that an older partner in an age-gap romance tends to end up being happier with the relationship than the younger partner — especially if the man is the older one. Granted, there are exceptions to everything and one study does not necessarily mean Hannity and Earhardt are doomed to fail, even though there are signs their relationship won't last. Hopefully, they are in it for the long haul and it's filled with nothing but sunshine.