Reigning Jeopardy! champion Amy Schneider was robbed at gunpoint over New Year’s weekend in Oakland, Calif.
Schneider tweeted about the robbery to her 52,000 followers, saying she was shaken up but otherwise OK.
“Hi all! So first off: I’m fine. But I got robbed yesterday, lost my ID, credit cards and phone. I then couldn’t really sleep last night, and have been dragging myself around all day trying to replace everything,” the Oakland resident said in her post.
Hi all! So, first off: I’m fine. But I got robbed yesterday, lost my ID, credit cards, and phone. I then couldn’t really sleep last night, and have been dragging myself around all day trying to replace everything.
—@Jeopardamy
Oakland police said in a statement they were still investigating the armed robbery that occurred Sunday afternoon and had not yet made any arrests.
Schneider, whose Jeopardy! run began on Nov. 17, is the first transgender contestant to qualify for the Tournament of Champions. She won again on Tuesday’s show, bringing her impressive winning streak to 25 consecutive victories, earning her $897,600 US in winnings so far.
The game show issued a statement saying, “We were deeply saddened to hear about this incident, and we reached out to Amy privately to offer our help in any capacity.”
With big winnings and new-found celebrity status, Schneider has also become the victim of transphobic comments on social media.
She addressed the hateful messages with a tweet posted on New Year’s Eve day, “I’d like to thank all the people who have taken the time, during this busy holiday season, to reach out and explain to me that, actually, I’m a man. Every single one of you is the first person ever to make that very clever point, which had never once before crossed my mind.”
You have actually helped shift my parents’ perception of womanhood and I couldn’t thank you more. You are such a brilliant queen and I could not enjoy your run on Jeopardy more. Thank you for being you and showing up and representing. We are rooting for your success & power!♡☆
—@Tanner_Dionne
The tweet generated at least 3,500 replies as of Wednesday, many from fans with supportive comments, denouncing the Twitter trolls sending harassing messages online.
Schneider is not the first transgender person to win on the long-running game show. In 2020, Kate Freeman from Lake Orion, Mich., made history when she became what many believe was the first openly transgender contestant to win on Jeopardy!
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