‘Celebrity Jeopardy!’ in Hot Water For “Tasteless” Brian Laundrie Clue: “Who Writes This Garbage?”

Celebrity Jeopardy! is still feeling the wrath of upset viewers days after including a “tasteless” clue about Brian Laundrie, the man who killed his girlfriend Gabby Petito while they were traveling together on a cross-country trip in 2021. After fans protested the clue, Laundrie’s family is “appalled” and speaking up to demand an apology from the hit quiz show.

The clue — whose answer was alligators — came during Sunday night’s (Nov. 13) episode, when host Mayim Bialik read, “In 2021, fugitive Brian Laundrie ended his days in Fla.’s Myakkahatchee Creek area, home to these long & toothy critters.”

Laundrie’s body, along with a note confessing that he had murdered his girlfriend, was found after a month-long manhunt. It was ruled that he had committed suicide by fatally shooting himself.

After Celebrity Jeopardy aired, attorney Steven Bertolino spoke on behalf of the Laundrie family, telling CBS News, “The entire Laundrie family is appalled and concurs with all of the comments on social media on how distasteful this was. I believe an apology is due.”

He added, “For this distasteful Jeopardy! question to be posed only highlights the sensationalism that surrounded this tragedy and puts salt on the wounds of a family that has not been afforded any rights or privacy when the family themselves did nothing wrong.”

Decider has reached out to representatives of the show for comment, but did not hear back by time of publication.

Fans of Celebrity Jeopardy! were disgusted, slamming the hit quiz show for using Laundrie as a clue for “alligators.”

“Yikes, what the fuck was that clue referencing Brian Laundrie to get to the response of ‘alligator’?? So unnecessarily morbid,” one wrote. “Could have said anything related to Florida and gotten there.”

Another said, “@Jeopardy Did you really have no other clue options than to use that murder’s name? The word ‘Alligators’ seems really easy to come up with a different clue for. Shame on you.”

A third commenter fumed, “Saw that and was completely stunned and disgusted.”

“This was completely tasteless. I expected better from #CelebrityJeopardy,” another chimed in, while one more condemned Jeopardy‘s “incredibly poor taste,” asking, “Who writes this garbage?”

Hopefully writers on Celebrity Jeopardy! will get the clue from the viewers — or at least avoid using tragic situations for their own.

Celebrity Jeopardy! airs on Sunday nights at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.