HOME / NEWS / HUMAN INTEREST

'Pure class': Jeopardy! champion Brian Henegar claps back at trolls for calling him Hitler lookalike

In response to the Hitler comparisons, Brian Henegar will make a donation to the Anti-Defamation League, the group that fights anti-Semitism

LAFOLLETTE, TENNESSEE: Jeopardy! champion Brian Henegar, 40, is now winning hearts after clapping back at sick trolls who compared his appearance to Adolf Hitler. The latest episode of Jeopardy! on Thursday, April 6, featured two-day winner Henegar, a native of La Follette, Tennessee, trying to defend his title against two new competitors after winning the show and bagging a total of $68,000.

However, his sweet victory was swiftly soured after facing the most unsavory of comparisons from behind the screen chair-bound trolls who mocked his mustache, linking it to the Nazi dictator. Although at first the 40-year-old fell prey to a "bunch of jerks" deleting and reactivating his Twitter account, the reigning champ fired back, announcing he is going to make a donation to the Anti-Defamation League, the group that fights anti-Semitism, and is going to outgrow his mustache. 

READ MORE

Mayim Bialik ‘kissing up to' Jeopardy! bosses to snatch hosting gig from Ken Jennings, sources claim

'Jeopardy!' is CHANGING: Here's what you need to know about revamped game show

Who is Brian Henegar?

Henegar became the three-day winner of Jeopardy! on Thursday, April 6. He is a guest services agent from La Follette, Tennessee. The truck stop customer service worker collected nearly $68,000 in prize money, beginning his winning streak on Monday and defeating his opponents Eliza Haas Marr and Cameron Creel in Final Jeopardy. He is the reigning champ of the popular game show and will continue to play in the upcoming rounds until he is defeated by a new player. If the Tennessee native continues with his winning streak, he might even join the Tournament of Champions post-season.

Why was Brian Henegar compared to Adolf Hitler?

Online goblins took a shot at Henegar, claiming his mustache resembles that of Nazi dictator, Adolf Hitler. On Wednesday, the 40-year-old wrote that despite the fact that the initial tweets made him "lose all faith in humanity," when he saw the messages of support, his faith was "restored." Henegar continued that, in response to the Hitler comparisons, he would be making a donation to the Anti-Defamation League, the group that fights anti-Semitism. "That way some good will come from your hate," he tweeted.

As per the negative remarks about his mustache, Henegar joked that his facial hair is more akin to Tom Selleck's character in Magnum PI. However, initially the Pilot Flying J truck stop employee said that he planned to shave it off, citing the time it took to keep it looking good, but later said he was opting to grow it out into a goatee. 

What were the sick comparisons?

A user said, "Okay, this Brian guy on #Jeopardy is channeling some Hitler vibes with his look." "'*Sigh* I wouldn’t have used the phrase 'lightning fast' to describe #Jeopardy champion Brian Henegar’s buzzer skills if I’d realized people were saying he looks like Hitler," another said, reported Daily Mail. Meanwhile, a friend of Henegar's slammed trolls and defended the winner, saying, "The fact Brian Henegar on Jeopardy! last night is being compared to a historically evil dictator based on his looks is utterly disgusting, bet its because all the haters are jealous of his knowledge…go touch grass…," the person said. However, after the announcement of a donation to the ADL, a user lauded his generous act as "pure class," and another said that it was the "perfect response" to the trolls.

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online