Vanna White's Son Testing Gay Waters with Hare Krishna Monk

Jason St. Amand READ TIME: 3 MIN.

Vanna White's son, Nicholas, who goes by the nickname Nikko, is dating and living with a Hare Krishna monk who is nearly twice his age, the British newspaper the Daily Mail reports.

Nikko, 19, has been living with Jaycee Akinsanya, 34, while they attend the University of Arizona. Nikko tells the National Enquirer that the two men are in a serious relationship.

"Jaycee and I have a special relationship," he told the Enquirer. "It's the closest I've ever been with anyone. It's just spiritual and wonderful and there is chemistry - and if there's sex also, so be it. It doesn't matter!"

He also told the publication that Akinsanya, who is from Liberia, has met his mother, the infamous "Wheel of Fortune" hostess, and his father, George Santo Pietro, a restaurant mogul. Both Nikko and Akinsanya said meeting White and her ex-husband was a success, with Akinsanya calling Nikko's parents "wonderful people." He also told the Enquirer if White or Pietro asked him to stop seeing Nikko he would "listen to their request and leave it to Nikko to decide."

Nikko added that his parents will accept him dating Akinsanya.

"My mom and dad like Jaycee," he said. "They don't think he is a demon."

In the interview, Nikko goes on to say that his relationship with Akinsanya is "close" but not "sexual in the full sense." Though he is open about his relationship with the monk, Nikko is "undecided" when it comes to his sexual orientation.

"I have had one girlfriend and never had a real boyfriend," he said. "We are just happy to be together, loving each other in whatever way possible. Gay? It's possible." The men are currently living in a small house in Tucson, Ariz. Nikko, a sophomore, met Akinsanya, who is a freshman at college, last year.

The National Enquirer article also contains allegations of gold-digging from an un-named source who claims Nikko asked his multi-millionaire parents for $1 million to build an ashram.

Nikko, however, told the newspaper that he never asked his parents for a hefty sum, saying "The money I asked for was for my living expenses - food, gas and for living my spiritual life with Jaycee."

The Daily Mail reports Nikko's Facebook page has several photos with Akinsanya. Many show the pair visiting a Hare Krishna temple and others are from a road trip to Canada.

After coming to the United States, Akinsanya initially lived in New Jersey before moving to Seattle. The Enquirer says the monk faced money problems in 2001. Additionally, the publication reports Akinsanya has taken a break from being a monk and even converted his ashram into a private home for himself and Nikko.

According to Wikipedia, The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), known colloquially as the Hare Krishna movement or Hare Krishnas, is a Gaudiya Vaishnava religious organization. It was founded in 1966 in New York City by A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. Its core beliefs are based on traditional Indian scriptures, such as the ?r?mad Bh?gavatam and the Bhagavad-g?t?.

Largely considered to be a cult, the history of the Hare Krishna movement is heavy with controversy and scandal.

In 1976 a case involving allegations of "brainwashing" involving a minor named Robin George and her parents went all the way to the Supreme Court of the United States. In 1983, a California jury awarded the family more than $32 million in damages for false imprisonment and other charges, which was reduced to $485,000 in 1993.


by Jason St. Amand , National News Editor

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