“Jeopardy!” star contestant Ken Jennings, who is scheduled to guest host the quiz show beginning Jan. 11, has apologized after tweets with ableist messaging resurfaced earlier this year, according to Variety.
“I just wanted to own up to the fact that over the years on Twitter, I’ve definitely tweeted some unartful and insensitive things,” he wrote in the first of five tweets. “Sometimes they worked as jokes in my head and I was dismayed to see how they read on screen.”
Ableism is the discrimination of and social prejudice against people with disabilities based on the belief that typical abilities are superior.
Jennings’ apology comes in the wake of recent criticism about the old social media posts, which appeared to make jokes at the expense of those with disabilities.
In November, Sony Pictures Television said Jennings would serve as one of the interim hosts for “Jeopardy!” after legendary host Alex Trebek died of pancreatic cancer.
Shortly after, Twitter users, including actor Yvette Nicole Brown, voiced their discontent with the decision due to Jennings’ past comments about disabilities. One tweet from 2014 read, “Nothing sadder than a hot person in a wheelchair.”
Jennings addressed the specific tweet in 2018, noting he personally apologized to people who reached out to him and that he regretted the joke’s ableist tone, according to Variety.
Jennings also explained to Variety that he didn’t delete the controversial posts to avoid any appearance that he was trying to “whitewash a mistake.” He said he does not stand by those remarks and understands why they were hurtful.
“Sometimes I said dumb things in a dumb way and I want to apologize to people who were (rightfully!) offended,” the fourth tweet reads. “It wasn’t my intention to hurt anyone, but that doesn’t matter: I screwed up, and I’m truly sorry.”
Jennings, who holds the record for the longest winning streak at 74 games in 2004, won $3,270,700 in prize money.
He said he is heading into 2021 with kindness in mind.
“If 2020 has taught us anything, it’s that we should be kinder to one another,” Jennings told Variety.
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