Jeopardy!’s Ken Jennings is feeling the heat over his 6-year-old wheelchair comment just days after taking over the role of the popular TV show’s guest host.
Following the death of legendary TV presenter Alex Trebek, Jeopardy!’s record-holder Ken Jennings was set to fill his shoes only to spark a major controversy after his old comment resurfaced.
Mr. Jennings, who secured 74 consecutive wins on the show, has been facing backlash after his 2014 comment in which he wrote: “Nothing sadder than a hot person in a wheelchair.”
While the record-holder already addressed the “inept” joke back in 2018 when he claimed to have personally apologized to people who were offended by his tweet, he is once again feeling the pressure due to his new position as Jeopardy!’s guest host.
“I never did a public flogging thing for this but I did apologize personally to angry/hurt people who reached out personally. It was a joke so inept that it meant something very different in my head & I regret the ableist plain reading of it!” Jennings wrote in his 2018 apology.
Now, with his position as the Jeopardy! guest host secured, people have once again dug up Jennings’ old words and slammed him over the six-year-old tweet.
“Nothing sadder than an unapologetic ableist hosting Jeopardy!” one person wrote.
“I’m sitting in a wheelchair in this photo, though it’s not visible (I’m wearing the gloves I usually wear when I wheel myself around because it’s easier on my hands)! I think I’m cute! I’d like to see @KenJennings say there’s nothing sadder than seeing this photo to my face!!” another user raged.
One person tweeted: “As a hot person in a wheelchair Ken Jennings can go to hell.”
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