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'Jeopardy!' Hit With Backlash Over Clue About Gabby Petito Killer Brian Laundrie's Suicide
*The following article contains discussion of suicide/self-harm.
Jeopardy! faced major scrutiny for including a clue mentioning the suicide of Gabby Petito's murderer Brian Laundrie.
Laundrie killed his fiancée Gabby Petito in August 2021.
Their case gripped the nation when she went missing after they had gone on a van living trip across the country together and he returned home alone.
After refusing to talk about her whereabouts and becoming a person of interest, he left his Florida home on September 13 and went missing a few days later.
His skeletal remains were later found at the Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park in North Port, Florida next to a notebook in which he confessed to the murder of Petito.
A clue mentioning Laundrie's suicide on Sunday's episode of Celebrity Jeopardy! incurred backlash for having absolutely no relevance to the correct response.
Host Mayim Bialik read the following in front of contestants:
“In 2021 fugitive Brian Laundrie ended his days in Fla.’s Myakkahatchee Creek area, home to these long & toothy critters.”
\u201cBrian Laundrie, who confessed to killing Gabby Petito before committing suicide in Florida, was featured as an answer on Celebrity @Jeopardy last night. \n\nIt read, \u201cBrian Laundrie ended his days,\u201d referencing his suicide. \n\nSuicide featured on a *game show.*\u201d— JB Biunno #HeyJB (@JB Biunno #HeyJB) 1668520503
Fire Island star Joel Kim Booster correctly answered:
"What are alligators?"
Viewers of the episode were flummoxed as to why the popular game show would casually provide a clue for the answer "alligators" in connection to a high-profile murder case while casually mentioning suicide.
Many saw the decision as one that desensitizes violence and mental health issues in America.
They also thought the man who violently took the life of his fiancée should never be mentioned or remembered on such a mainstream TV show.
Here are just some of the reactions from enraged social media users.
\u201c@WFLAJB @Jeopardy 1) His name shouldn't be part of a quiz and 2) there was a million ways they could have asked a question to get the answer that didn't involve him. Pretty sick whoever approved this.\u201d— JB Biunno #HeyJB (@JB Biunno #HeyJB) 1668520503
\u201c@WFLAJB @Jeopardy WHY? that's so insensitive. Then again, all I see anymore for tv, YouTube, streaming apps ( ie. Dahmer series) is revictimization of survivors or the deceased from heinous crimes. I don't know how to humanize victims. Society is becoming desensitized imo\u201d— JB Biunno #HeyJB (@JB Biunno #HeyJB) 1668520503
\u201c@WFLAJB @Jeopardy They could not come up with ANYTHING else for alligator? I am disappointed in this game show that has been known for integrity and class.\u201d— JB Biunno #HeyJB (@JB Biunno #HeyJB) 1668520503
\u201c@WFLAJB @Jeopardy It makes 0 sense to have this as a clue? Why would they even think of doing that\u201d— JB Biunno #HeyJB (@JB Biunno #HeyJB) 1668520503
\u201c@WFLAJB @Jeopardy What in the world?! How dare they immortalise his name further, and on a game show of all things like this. Like it\u2019s nothing. For loved ones of Gabby & any other loved one of a murdered person to see & hear him spoken of so nonchalantly\u201d— JB Biunno #HeyJB (@JB Biunno #HeyJB) 1668520503
\u201c@WFLAJB @Jeopardy That's pretty messed up \ud83d\ude11 my brother's life ended by mental health issues. Seems insensitive to put that as a game show question.\u201d— JB Biunno #HeyJB (@JB Biunno #HeyJB) 1668520503
\u201c@WFLAJB @Jeopardy Such poor poor taste. Do better, Jeopardy. Alex would have nixed that answer.\u201d— JB Biunno #HeyJB (@JB Biunno #HeyJB) 1668520503
Users were able to come up with suitable alternatives.
\u201c@WFLAJB @Jeopardy That's really pretty sick and insensitive. There are so many ways to give clues for the alligator that doesn't include a murderer who took the easy way out. For one "Florida is the only place in the world home to crocodiles and these close cousins."\u201d— JB Biunno #HeyJB (@JB Biunno #HeyJB) 1668520503
\u201c@BrianneBerger2 @WFLAJB @Jeopardy That's what I was thinking... like a Captain Hook reference.\u201d— JB Biunno #HeyJB (@JB Biunno #HeyJB) 1668520503
\u201c@WFLAJB @Jeopardy I\u2019m sorry but this upsets me. He shouldn\u2019t be getting his name ANYWHERE. It sickens me. He would actually LOVE this attention \ud83d\ude21\u201d— JB Biunno #HeyJB (@JB Biunno #HeyJB) 1668520503
If you or someone you know is struggling, you can contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988.
To find help outside the United States, the International Association for Suicide Prevention has resources available at https://www.iasp.info/resources/Crisis_Centres/