The outpouring of love and support for Alex Trebek during his cancer journey has included celebrities, contestants and fans of all stripes. Now, actor Olivia Munn, best known for her role in “The Newsroom,” has joined in, posting a tweet for the “Jeopardy!” host as he battles stage 4 lung cancer.
“We [heart] you, Alex,” she wrote in a recent tweet, using the #Jeopardy hashtag.
Olivia Munn (@oliviamunn) November 12, 2019 Her tweet joined the growing number of people who reacted online after a “Jeopardy!” Tournament of Champions player, contestant Dhruv Gaur, wrote “We love you, Alex!” on his screen instead of the answer to his Final Jeopardy question.
Many fans commented on Munn’s post, telling her they felt the same way about the beloved host, and to let her know that her support for Trebek made them emotional.
“Alex Trebek is part of all of our lives. It is so sad he has been afflicted with this terrible disease. I wish well and pray for a miraculous recovery,” wrote one supporter.
Gaur’s answer had been met with an even bigger outpouring of love, and his subsequent tweets went viral. So, it’s no surprise that he was invited on “The Ellen Show,” where he talked about his experience and his inspiration for writing the supportive message in place of a “Jeopardy!” answer.
Gaur Gets the ‘Ellen’ Treatment
“We actually shot [that show] in mid-September,” Gaur told host Ellen DeGeneres, which meant “it was right after Trebek publicly announced that he was going to reenter chemotherapy for his pancreatic cancer.”
He added that when Trebek paid a visit “to the green room and talked to all the contestants who were on the tournament, we could really tell that it was tough for him. So when I got up there, obviously I wasn’t going to win the game or anything, so I was like, I could try to figure out the right answer, or I could do something for this person who might need it right now.”
Trebek, who had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in March of this year — and who has inspired others to get checked out — first discussed reentering chemo on “Good Morning America,” explaining that while his treatments had seemed to be going well, recent tests revealed “sky-high” numbers.
Dhruv Aghar, who wrote “We [heart] you Alex,” instead of an answer to his final Jeopardy! question.Aghar had been on the show before, winning $100,000 after four days in the “Jeopardy!” college championship about a year-and-a-half ago, he also told DeGeneres. He said he spent “a good amount” of the money on tuition for Brown University where he is currently a student, and also took 20 friends out to dinner.
“They, apparently, according to the check, had a lot of fun,” he said.
He also said that since the show aired, the response has been “crazy,” with even Ryan Reynolds and Chrissy Teigan posting on Twitter about the event.
A Contestant-Organized Fundraiser for Trebek
Along with other “Jeopardy!” Tournament of Champions contestants, Gaur organized a fundraiser after his appearance on the show to continue the effort to support Trebek. At the end of this week, he and other competitors from the tournament have been playing along with “Jeopardy!” from home, and for each answer they get right, donating $1 to the Lustgarten Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research. They hope others have been inspired to play along, donate and spread the word as well.
