When Jeopardy! airs, there is always a moment where Ken Jennings asks the players personal questions. This gives them a chance to show fans at home who they really are outside of being smart people. However, on an episode this last week, one contestant had something sweet to say while Ken had her Q&A session. That sweet comment turned tragic a short time later.
Here is what Maria Lauro said when Ken Jennings asked about her bittersweet experience.
Jeopardy! Contestant Announces Tragic Death
Maria Lauro was one of the Jeopardy! contestants on last Friday’s episode. However, when the questions came to her to reveal something about herself to fans, she had a sweet comment to share with the audience at home, specifically with her husband.
Maria, a contract specialist from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was playing against Joe Asaminew, an ER physician from Winnipeg, Manitoba, and Laura Faddah, a manager from Memphis, Tennessee. Laura was the defending champion, with a one-day earning of $11,200.
Ken said that Maria had a callout she wanted to make to her husband and son. She said, “I’m a quiz mom and a history mom. My husband has been trying to get me to apply for this show for years (via The U.S. Sun). “This is my first time trying out. In fact, before I got the call, he said, ‘is it time for you to reapply?’ He’s my coach. And because this show is being aired during the holidays, it’s a Christmas present for him. Honey, you were right!”
This was very sweet. However, it turns out that the Christmas present never happened. Maria’s husband died before the show aired on television.
Maria Explains Her Husband’s Death Before Jeopardy!
Maria took to Reddit to explain what happened to Jeopardy! fans. She wrote, “Today is probably the most bittersweet day of my life. Thanks to the encouragement of my husband, I tried out and actually made it to the Alex Trebek stage. And, as you’ll see when you watch, I gave him a huge shout out in my interview, which I was keeping a secret. And he’s never going to see it because he unexpectedly died three weeks ago.”
She said he knew how she did and was happy for her success. However, he never saw the episode before his passing. Fans flooded in to send their condolences.
- “Sending you peace. I’m sure he’s looking down and was cheering you on! Enjoy your evening with your friends marking your achievement!”
- “What a lovely way to honor him – telling millions of people what he means to you in a way that can be recorded! I’m sorry for your loss but so glad he got to know that you made it on that stage.”
- “I have no words, Maria. Thank you for sharing with us, and I’m glad that your husband was so loving that he encouraged you to have this wonderful experience. We’ll be rooting for you!”
Please help send your condolences in the comments and let us know your thoughts on Maria and her Jeopardy! moment below.