‘Jeopardy!’ Champ Yogesh Raut Gets Embroiled in Ugly Online Feud

Martin Holmes September 20, 2024, 9:49 am

Comments

Jeopardy!‘s 2024 Tournament of Champions winner, Yogesh Raut, is embroiled in a feud with a journalist stemming from Raut’s divisive Facebook posts following his first appearance on the game show.

In an article published on Slate on Thursday, September 19, journalist Luke Winkie details his run-ins with Raut, which he claims started after he made an off-handed comment about Raut’s return to the Tournament of Champions earlier this year.

“I briefly mentioned in a parenthetical that Raut was set to come back to the show he had roasted: “Remember three-time champion Yogesh Raut, who trashed the show after his appearances? He’s back next week!” Winkie wrote before revealing he later “received a very angry email from Yogesh Raut.”

“The subject line read, “Lying in your ‘Jeopardy!’ article.” In it, Raut accused me of “rationalizing the doxxing/harassment/cyberbullying of a POC,” and asserted that I had to “make up fake facts in order to cook up a victim-blaming narrative that justifies harming POC,” Winkie continued.

Winkie’s article goes on to share the back-and-forth between himself and Raut, including details regarding Raut’s quizzing past and alleged feuds with others involved in the world of competitive trivia.

Raut has spoken out against Winkie’s reporting on his Facebook page. Before the latest Slate article was published, Raut wrote, “Many of the things they plan to report are factually false (which is hardly new for them).”

The Jeopardy! star went on to address the various claims made in Winkie’s article, sharing his side of the story and pointing out what he calls misrepresentations.

You can read Winkie’s full article here and check out Raut’s responses below and make your own minds up.

First appearing on Jeopardy! in 2023, Raut won three games and over $98,000. While he showed off impressive trivia knowledge, he was also considered a polarizing figure among the Jeopardy! fanbase for what some deemed to be poor sportsmanship.

Raut later addressed these criticisms on Facebook, where he spoke out about racial biases in the world of quizzing and Jeopardy! Some fans interpreted Raut’s comments as trashing Jeopardy!, though the pro-quizzer would later clarify he was never mocking those involved in the show itself but speaking about the broader issues in quizzing.

'Jeopardy!': Yogesh Raut Dishes on How James Holzhauer Reacted After 'Masters' Defeat

Fans on the Jeopardy! Reddit forum shared their thoughts on the latest drama, with one user writing, “I feel bad for Yogesh. I’m sure he’s dealt with racism in many facets of his life. He’s clearly hurting, but his way of dealing with that hurt is only putting more pain into the world.”

Another added, “I think in these discussions it’s important to keep in mind that racism and misogyny are undeniably a problem in America today, and Jeopardy should endeavor to be open to everyone who has trivia skill. I have no insight into whether Jeopardy has a particular problem with race or gender, so I can’t comment on whether Yogesh’s complaint has any merit to it or not. I think Jeopardy’s treatment of POC and women is something that POC and women ought to be free to comment on without fear of backlash.”

“I’m confident he experienced racism, but also ostracism due to basic human cliquishness,” wrote another. “His idiosyncratic personality also likely contributed. Chalking it all up to racism misses the idea that people can be cruel for a multitude of reasons. I hope he’s happier after his great recent showings in tournaments.”

Jeopardy!, Weekdays, Check Local Listings