TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — The family of Brian Laundrie is “appalled” after their son was mentioned in a “Celebrity Jeopardy!” clue on Sunday night.
In Sunday’s episode, actors John Michael Higgins, Wil Wheaton, and Joel Kim Booster were given a clue in a category where all responses contained the letter “A,” according to the New York Post.
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: “What are alligators.”
Fans of the show criticized the mention of Laundrie, who was the primary person of interest in the disappearance of his fiancée, Gabby Petito. Laundrie confessed to killing Petito in a notebook before taking his own life.
On Oct. 20, 2021, Laundrie’s remains were found in the Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park.
One Twitter user called the clue “rude” and “insensitive.” Others called it “tasteless.”
In a statement, Laundrie family attorney Steve Bertolino said, “The entire Laundrie family is appalled and concurs with all of the comments on social media at how distasteful this was.”
TMZ reported that the family wants an apology from the game show.
“Jeopardy!” representatives have not responded to requests for comment from Nexstar’s WFLA.