‘Jeopardy!’ In Hot Water Over Clue That Included Deceased Fugitive, Brian Laundrie
Jeopardy! is in the news once again. This time, it has nothing to do with host replacements or a contestant winning a large sum of money. The famed trivia show has come under fire for a controversial clue that referenced the deceased fugitive and the only person of interest in the 2021 death of Gabby Petito, Brian Laundrie. The use of Laundrie’s name is especially controversial because it was almost completely unrelated to the actual answer.
‘Jeopardy!’ comes under fire after clue references Brian Laundrie
On November 13, during Celebrity Jeopardy!, contestants were tasked with answering dozens of trivia clues, as is standard for the long-running game show. One category, “The A-List,” had a rather controversial clue. Early in the game, the clue, “In 2021 fugitive Brian Laundrie ended his days in Fla.’s Myakkahatchee Creek Area, home to these long toothy critters,” was read. Joel Kim Booster correctly answered the clue.
The answer, “what are Alligators,” was simple enough, and that’s exactly why viewers took issue with the clue. Jeopardy! could have used any number of hints to get to the answer, yet, the show’s writer opted to mention the Gabby Petito case and Laundrie’s subsequent death.
The clue angered the family of Brian Laundrie. The family’s lawyer, Steven Bertolino, stated to TMZ on behalf of the family. According to Bertolino, the Laundrie family would like the show to apologize. Jeopardy! has yet to release a statement.
The disappearance and death of Gabby Petito gripped the nation in 2021
The controversy over the Jeopardy! clue is understandable. There were other, much more innocent ways to guide contestants toward the correct answer. At the very least, there were plenty of possible clues that didn’t utilize the most discussed disappearance and death of 2021. So, who exactly was Brian Laundrie?
In August 2021, Gabby Petito disappeared while on a road trip with her fiancee, Brian Laundrie. In late August, Petito’s mother received texts from her daughter’s phone that concerned her. On September 1, Laundrie returned to Florida without Petito, unbeknownst to Petito’s family. The Petito family reported Gabby Petito missing on September 11.
In late September, Petito’s body was discovered at a Wyoming campground. By the time the vlogger’s body was found, Laundrie had disappeared into a Florida nature reserve. A manhunt was launched. Laundrie’s remains were found in October 2021 in a Florida reserve. He died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Petito’s disappearance was followed closely on social media, with more than 100,000 Reddit users joining a subreddit dedicated to the case. Her disappearance and the subsequent hunt for Laundrie were heavily discussed on TikTok and Twitter. In October 2022, Lifetime released a TV movie based on the news story.
