"Celebrity Jeopardy!" has sparked outrage after using a clue that has been described as "tasteless" and "insensitive" by fans.
The clue, asked to actors John Michael Higgins, Wil Wheaton and Joel Kim Booster — was featured on Sunday night's episode, in the category where all responses contained the letter "A."
The Bizzarre Clue
The question read "In 2021, fugitive Brian Laundrie ended his days in Fla's Myakkahatchee Creek area, home to these long & toothy critters."
The answer was "What are alligators" — and fans were critical of the show's decision to mention Laundrie in the clue. Laundrie, 23, confessed to killing his 22-year-old girlfriend Gabby Petito in a notebook before taking his own life about a year ago while the couple were traveling across the country in a van.
Reactions on Social Media
The reference to the Gabby Petito murder case did not sit well with viewers who took to social media to slam the TV show over the mention of Laundrie.
"Not celebrity @jeopardy using Brian Laundrie as a clue for alligators.. that's so distasteful and wrong could've used anything else for a clue," wrote one user.
"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," commented another.
"THIS, this is beyond offensive. It's appalling & completely insensitive, not to mention totally unnecessary. Shame on, @Jeopardy," opined yet another.
Laundrie was named as a person of interest after Petito was reported missing on September 11 by her mother. Her body was found on September 19 in Wyoming's Grand Teton National Park, with authorities believing she had died three to four weeks earlier.
Her cause of death was ruled as "blunt-force injuries to the head and neck, with manual strangulation". Laundrie had refused to assist police with her disappearance, and went missing himself on September 14, before her body was located.
Laundrie's remains were discovered a month after Petito's remains were found in the Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park on Oct. 20, 2021. It was later announced that he had died due to a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.
