ECONOMY & WORK
MONEY 101
NEWS
PERSONAL FINANCE
NET WORTH
About Us Contact Us Privacy Policy Terms of Use DMCA Opt-out of personalized ads
© Copyright 2023 Market Realist. Market Realist is a registered trademark. All Rights Reserved. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.
MARKETREALIST.COM / NEWS

Melissa Joan Hart wins $1 million on 'Celebrity Wheel of Fortune' — and then donates it all away

She became the fourth player in the show's history to win so much in the Bonus Round.
PUBLISHED MAR 13, 2025
Screenshot showing Hart and Sajak's reaction after winning $1 million on The Wheel of Fortune (Cover image source: YouTube | The Wheel Of Fortune/ABC)
Screenshot showing Hart and Sajak's reaction after winning $1 million on The Wheel of Fortune (Cover image source: YouTube | The Wheel Of Fortune/ABC)

"Wheel of Fortune" is a platform for common Americans to win a dream trip or drive away in a car. On the other hand, "Celebrity Wheel Of Fortune" hosts generous celebrities who play games only to give away their winnings to charity. "Sabrina, the Teenage Witch" star Melissa Joan Hart appeared on the show in 2021 and bagged the rare million-dollar wedge and won it too. What made it more special was that it was all for a good cause as the actress donated everything to charity.

Screenshot showing Pat Sajak revealing Hart's bonus prize (Image source: YouTube/The Wheel of Fortune/ABC)
Screenshot showing Pat Sajak revealing Hart's bonus prize (Image source: YouTube/The Wheel of Fortune/ABC)

Hart was competing in the primetime episode against fellow stars Tituss Burgess and Lacey Chabert. She was playing for the Youth Villages charity, an organization that helps young people with emotional, mental, and behavioral problems. “They serve families and children across 23 different states at every kind of level, going through foster care and aging out of foster care especially,” Hart explained on the show. 

Screenshot showing Hart picking the additional letters for her bonus puzzle (Image source: YouTube/The Wheel of Fortune/ABC)
Screenshot showing Hart picking the additional letters for her bonus puzzle (Image source: YouTube/The Wheel of Fortune/ABC)

Through the episode, Hart demonstrated impressive puzzle-solving skills. In the initial rounds, she landed on the Million Dollar Wedge twice after spinning the wheel and solving both puzzles. Her opponent and long-time friend Chabert was also on a great run after solving the show's first puzzle without any clues. However, it was Hart who had the lead in the end to go into the bonus round of the show. 

For the final puzzle, Hart picked the "Food & Drink" category before spinning the wheel for a golden envelope. She then took center stage alongside host Pat Sajak to take on the bonus puzzle. With the standard letters, R, S, T, L, and E filled in, Hart chose the additional letters G, M, W, and A as her additional letters. With this, the puzzle read, "_RAN    M _ _ _ _ NS".

Screenshot showing the final puzzle (Image source: YouTube/The Wheel of Fortune/ABC)
Screenshot showing the final puzzle (Image source: YouTube/The Wheel of Fortune/ABC)

As the clock started ticking, Hart looked confident about her guess. Without wasting much time, she said, "BRAN MUFFINS" out loud as her answer. Sajak and the show's co-host Vanna White revealed that her answer was correct. To add to her delight, Sajak revealed that she had won a million dollars from her golden envelope. 



 

With this, Hart became the fourth player in the show's history to win $1 million. Talking to USA Today, Hart said that White gave away her winning moment early. "Vanna White's face turned white. Vanna looked at me and was like, 'You got it! You got it!' I hit the roof. She hit the roof," she told the publication. Sharing the exciting moment on Instagram, the actress further wrote that it was an amazing feeling to be on the show that she used to watch with her mother as a kid. "I still have the confetti at home. And they let me keep the $1-million chip, Pat and Vanna signed it for me," Hart said in the video.


 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Melissa Joan Hart (@melissajoanhart)


 

Youth Villages also watched the episode and celebrated Hart's win on social media as well. "BRB, we're on cloud 9 right now! @melissajoanhart did it!! She won 1 million dollars for Youth Villages!!!" the organization wrote on Instagram. 


 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Youth Villages (@youthvillages)


 

In the USA Today interview, Hart revealed that it was a nerve-racking moment for her. "It was super exciting and pretty nerve-wracking; I rarely win game shows," referring to an epic loss in an episode of the 1998 "Celebrity Jeopardy" match.

MORE ON MARKET REALIST
Harvey was waiting for a long time for someone to give that answer.
8 hours ago
All the guest could say was, "I am never going to be able to talk to my wife again."
1 day ago
The TikTok creator claimed that the brand is trying to gain attention, but some viewers disagree.
2 days ago
Harris made a last ditch attempt for the 'Holy Grail' item but it didn't go as he expected it to.
2 days ago
Jay Tope, who lost $75,000 earlier in the week, redeemed himself while playing with the star.
2 days ago
While the question was direct, the entrepreneurs kept beating around the bush.
3 days ago
Fans are posting videos of the game that they discovered at Costco retail stores.
3 days ago
Catherine also got some help from her mother who was sitting in the studio audience.
3 days ago
As David walked up to the host, Carey immediately noticed his clothes and said, "What a great shirt!"
3 days ago
Even the fans agreed that the answer to the puzzle was just too random for someone to guess.
4 days ago
The winner and the model astonished the audience and the host Drew Carey.
4 days ago
Even the show's expert was amazed to see the sculpture that was created by a famous painter.
5 days ago
Debra won the game "Master Key" which tests both the player's pricing skills and luck.
5 days ago
While Mr Wonderful wanted to close the deal quickly, the founder of Flipstik was hesitant.
5 days ago
The contestant had arrived with a t-shirt that had a request for a ride home and he got it.
5 days ago
Apart from the venture, the boy goes to school while his father is in medical sales.
6 days ago
The appraiser kept adding to the guest's astonishment by telling her how the basket's value could go up.
6 days ago
The duo got a little carried away leaving the host, Ryan Seacrest on the sidelines.
6 days ago
While many succumb to the pressure, a few elite contestants like Helen pull off stunning wins.
6 days ago
The player was also joined by her family on the stage and they came together for a group hug.
7 days ago