Alex Trebek’s wife Jean opened up about the game show host’s legacy and her grieving process following his death during Wednesday’s episode of the “TODAY” show.
“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,” Jean said during the interview. “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.”
WATCH:
“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 also claimed the response from his fan base was a “huge inspiration for Alex.”
She specifically noted the moment contestant Dhruv Gupta lost money just so he could write “What is we (heart) you Alex” as his answer.
“When that contestant wrote that, you know, you could see him, like, ‘Oh, don’t make me cry here, but I love it.’ And I think that meant the world to him,” Jean said.
Jean also talked about her grief about Alex’s passing.
“I absolutely have moments of waves of grief that just come over me,” Jean told the hosts. “I miss him a lot.”
Trebek passed away in November after battling pancreatic cancer.