The world lost a true legend in November, when “Jeopardy!” host Alex Trebek passed away at the age of 80 following a battle with pancreatic cancer. Now, his widow Jean is opening up about his legacy and giving fans an update on how she and her children are coping with his passing.
Jean sat down with “Today” host Savannah Guthrie for an interview that will air this weekend as part of NBC’s upcoming primetime special “Inspiring America: The 2021 Inspiration List.”
An excerpt from Jean’s interview aired this morning on “Today.”
“He got to really see the outpouring of love.”
Jean Trebek talks to @SavannahGuthrie about her late husband Alex Trebek. Catch the full interview during the special prime-time event "Inspiring America," which airs Saturday, May 1 at 8 p.m. ET on NBC and Telemundo. pic.twitter.com/BdjN5W4QFG
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) April 28, 2021
Jean Talks About Outpouring Of Love Her Husband Got
Jean talked about the outpouring of support her late husband got during his cancer battle, saying that she’s glad he got to see how loved he was before he died.
“Yes, I was. And I think Alex was too,” she said when asked if the response rom fans surprised her. “I think one of the beautiful things, the blessings that came, if you can call it a blessing, was that he got to really see the outpouring of love and admiration that he gave to the world.”
“And some people just, you know, you don’t see that while you’re still embodied, you don’t get to really witness all the love that people feel for you,” she added. “And I know that that was in and of itself a huge inspiration for Alex.”
Related: The Touching Moment From ‘Jeopardy’ Host Alex Trebek’s Final Episodes That You Won’t See On TV
Jean Discusses How She’s Coping
Later in the interview, Jean was asked how she and the two children she shared with Alex are coping in the wake of his death.
“I think right now, talking with you, I’m good,” she told Savannah. “You know? I’m good. I absolutely have moments of waves of grief that just come over me. I miss him a lot.”
Jean also talked about Alex’s decision to go public with his cancer battle. It went on for over a year and saw him continue to host “Jeopardy!” through his grueling treatments.
“I think that is one of Alex’s gifts was that he could be very resolute and know that the truth will not hurt you and he wanted to empower people to move through whatever challenge they had in life with a sense of inner strength, inner dignity and love, and love,” Jean said.
Related: ‘Jeopardy’ Has Banned Certain Wagers Because They Are Deemed Racist, Satanic, And Sexual
Replacement For Alex On Jeopardy!
Since Alex Trebek died and the show must go on, there have been several guests hosting “Jeopardy!” Of course, none have his panache but a couple of the are winning over fans. From Katie Couric to Aaron Rodgers to Mayim Balik, there are folks from different genres taking a step in Alex’s shoes.
Even Savannah Guthrie takes a shot at hosting from June 14 – 25.
Alex Did Not Want To Be A Burden
Months before his passing, Alex talked to “Good Morning America” about how difficult it was to ask Jean for help as he fought cancer.
“I apologize to her and explain that it has nothing to do with my love for her or my feelings for her,” he said. “It just has to do with the fact that I feel like I’m a terrible burden to her. And that bothers me tremendously.”
Alex would undoubtedly be very proud of he could see all that Jean is doing today! Please join us in saying a prayer for her during this difficult time.
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