“Celebrity Jeopardy” is facing some online backlash after the game show used the murder of Gabby Petito as a clue for contestants.
During the Sunday episode, actors John Michael Higgins and Wil Wheaton competed against Joel Kim Booster in the ABC show’s semifinal round.
“Jeopardy!” host Mayim Bialik read the contestants a clue from “The A-List” category in which the answers consisted of the letter “A.”
“In 2021, Fugitive Brian Laundrie Ended His Days Fla.’s Myakkahatchee Creek Area, Home to These Long & Toothy Critters,” Bialik said.
To which Booster correctly answered, “What are alligators?”
Although Bialik casually went on to the next topic, “Jeopardy” viewers were outraged and began criticizing the game show on Twitter over the inappropriate clue.
“This is the most tasteless and insensitive answer I’ve ever seen on any Jeopardy! What the hell were they thinking? Making light of that tragic situation is repugnant. Damn,” one person wrote.
I was mortified to be watching Jeopardy and low and behold they asked a casual question about alligators referencing Brian Laundrie! Oh Mayim. Oh Jeopardy! 🙄 What incredibly poor taste. I’m sure her parents would be thrilled to turn on the tv to see this on a game show!!???
— VJR (@Pienbudnme64) November 14, 2022
What a tasteless Jeopardy clue yesterday: “In 2021, fugitive Brian Laundrie ended his days in Fla’s Myakkahatchee Creek area, home to these long & toothy critters.” There are literally over 1 million ways to get to “What is an alligator?” #jeopardy #truecrime
— Afraid of the Dork 🤓 (@Afraid_of_Dork) November 15, 2022
Wow @jeopardy making Brian Laundrie a clue for an answer for alligator is offensive. He was an abusive murderer and you put him on your show? How about #GabbyPetito who he murdered.
— Josephine Rae (@JoeyRae1989) November 15, 2022
Bruh @Jeopardy I love you but last night’s question referencing Brian Laundrie was not cool. It was insensitive.
— Sophia (@lunchTcreative) November 14, 2022
I was mortified to be watching Jeopardy and low and behold they asked a casual question about alligators referencing Brian Laundrie! Oh Mayim. Oh Jeopardy! 🙄 What incredibly poor taste. I’m sure her parents would be thrilled to turn on the tv to see this on a game show!!???
— VJR (@Pienbudnme64) November 14, 2022
Another viewer hoped the show would correct its wrong by apologizing to the victim’s family.
“Hope @Jeopardy apologizes to the #Petito family. Using someone’s suicide as part of a clue not cool. Who okays these clues? You know Laundrie murdered the young #GabbyPetito. Perhaps you could mention her & the #GabbyPetitoFoundation. Alex Trebek would be shaking his head right now,” the individual wrote.
On Sept. 11, 2021, Petito was reported missing after her parents were unable to contact her during her cross-country road trip with Laundrie.
Petito’s remains were discovered six days later in Wyoming, and her death was ruled a homicide by manual strangulation.
In October of that same year, Laundrie died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound in North Port, Florida. Among his belongings was a notebook in which he admitted to murdering Petito.
Moab City Police Department / Handout
