The “Jeopardy!” winner accused of flashing a hand gesture in assist of “white power” insisted Thursday the entire thing is a “horrible misunderstanding” and that he’s “not a racist.”
Kelly Donohue — condemned by former contestants for displaying a three-fingered hand signal related to white supremacist teams — stated it was meant to rejoice his “third win” and that he’s “horrified” by the misinterpretation.
“I’m actually horrified with what has been posted about me on social media. I completely, unequivocally condemn white supremacy and racism of any type,” Donohue, a banker from Winthrop, Mass., wrote in a Fb put up Thursday morning.
“Individuals who know me personally know that I’m not a racist, however for the general public at massive it bears repeating: I’m not a racist and I reject and condemn white supremacy and all kinds of bigotry for the evil they’re.”
He added, “It’s shameful to me to assume anybody would attempt to use the stage of Jeopardy! to advance or promote such a disgusting agenda. In the course of the taping of my fourth episode, I used to be merely elevating three fingers to mark my third win. There was nothing extra I used to be attempting to point.”
In an open letter printed Wednesday, tons of of former present contributors ripped Donohue for 2 “offensive” incidents on the present this week.
Within the “extra broadly felt” of the 2 “missteps,” Donohue “held his thumb and forefinger collectively along with his different three fingers prolonged and palm going through inward, and he tapped his chest,” the letter says.
The hand image has been “coopted by white power teams, alt-right teams, and an anti-government group that calls itself the Three Percenters,” it states.
Within the second incident, “Kelly responded to a clue with a time period for the Roma that’s thought of a slur” on the present Monday.
Donohue posted a response to the letter on Fb Wednesday, claiming the accusations have been a misunderstanding — then deleted it and posted a new message Thursday with a extra “forceful condemnation of white supremacy,” he stated.
“I deeply remorse this horrible misunderstanding. I by no means meant to harm a soul and I guarantee you I’m no buddy of racists or white supremacists,” he wrote within the new put up.
“I eliminated the earlier put up as a result of the feedback have been greater than I may bear. I stand by the assertion itself and you will discover it reported in different media. I did, nonetheless, perceive the honest criticism that I didn’t embody a forceful condemnation of white supremacy in my preliminary assertion. I hope my emotions on that matter are clear now,” he wrote.
Donohue’s put up doesn’t tackle the “Roma” remark. Representatives for “Jeopardy!” haven’t commented on the controversy.
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