‘Jeopardy!’ Contestant Accused Of Being A White Supremacist After Making ‘OK’ Gesture

Ever since the Anti-Defamation League classified the “OK” sign as an official symbol of hate in 2019, certain sects of the internet have reacted with outrage anytime someone is seen flashing the hand gesture. Last week, Jeopardy! contestant Kelly Donohue became the latest controversial figure after making the sign during his announcement on the game show.

As the returning champion on Jeopardy!, Donohue was celebrating his three-day win streak, and while being introduced by guest host Anderson Cooper, he made the “OK” symbol against his chest — sending Twitter and the media into a frenzy.

Although some associate the hand gesture with far-right groups to represent white supremacy, Donohue quickly explained the true meaning behind his gesture amid the allegations. According to Donohue himself, which many users also noted, the sign was meant to represent how many times he’d won on the show.

As a longtime fan of Jeopardy!, Donohue went on his personal Facebook account last Wednesday to explain the meaning behind his gesture. “Many of the great champions of old had a little signature hello they would do onscreen when being introduced,” he said. “I decided to count my victories.”

Despite the explanation, many Twitter users reacted with outrage aimed at Donohue, accusing the Jeopardy! contestant of flashing a “white supremacist” or “white power symbol,” while also clamoring for Jeopardy! to address it.

Jeopardy</a> Did Kelly Donohue flash a &#39;White power&#39; sign on today&#39;s episode?😳<br>You may want to screen your contestants better. He used a slur yesterday and <a href="https://twitter.com/andersoncooper?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">andersoncooper corrected him. Now today again? pic.twitter.com/1f4dBgALWA

— Amie De'Kanna (@AmieKanna) April 27, 2021

Hey team did Kelly on jeopardy flash the white power symbol on national television tonight or are my mom and I crazy

— Emma (@emmasspeck) April 27, 2021

@andersoncooper did you notice contestant Kelly Donohue flash the white power sign on the show tonight??? #jeopardy pic.twitter.com/Nw7mbRjMkw

— West Law Firm | Nyasha West (@NWestEsq) April 27, 2021

Some had a less accusatory take on the controversy, pointing out that context is key when discerning various uses of the “OK” symbol.

This is the white power symbol, the jeopardy contestant was simply showing three wins. He also did two and one. pic.twitter.com/hfc6QS6AJG

— JT (@PhillyCitizen11) April 30, 2021

500 former contestants are going to destroy this man’s life because they are intentionally too stupid to understand that he is not a white supremacist. https://t.co/5Qfap1Rh5N

— آرش (@thekarami) May 2, 2021

FWIW, I’m a white guy who doesn’t even know what the white power symbol is. Or is it the white supremacy symbol? I don’t even know which. The effort to cancel the Jeopardy winner shows people want to create chaos in society. There's apparently no limit to this malicious absurdity

— David Limbaugh (@DavidLimbaugh) May 3, 2021

Among the controversy, a group of nearly 500 former Jeopardy! contestants published an open letter on Medium demanding a public apology from Donohue and the show’s producers "regarding offensive terminology and [the] gesture aired this week." Aside from the "OK" symbol, these former participants also addressed issues with certain labels and slurs used on the show (by writers and contestants), such as the term "gypsy," which they said was used in several clues over the last two years.