The former home of legendary TV host Alex Trebek is being destroyed this week, with a demolition team in the midst of reducing the structure to rubble.
As per TMZ, the estate Trebek owned and lived at for decades is located in Studio City, LA – the Jeopardy! host resided there for close to 30 years before his death from pancreatic cancer in 2020.
Trebek’s old neighbors are said to have told TMZ that a wall went up around the property last week, while bulldozers and excavators arrived at the weekend to begin the process of razing the estate to the ground.
By all accounts, Trebek loved the property – his since 1991 – dearly and took immense pride in personally seeing to all adjustments and repairs himself. He even once bought out an entire hardware store to facilitate his DIY renovations.
If TMZ were to be believed, Trebek owned and drove a pickup truck because he would often go to hardware stores to purchase home improvement supplies.
Following Alex’s passing in 2020, his wife Jean lived there alone. She decided to sell the home for $6,450,000 in January of 2022, while the new owners were issued permits for demolition in February 2023.
In many ways, the destruction of the estate marks the closing of a chapter – indeed, Alex passed away in the home after losing his battle with cancer.
It was on March 6, 2019, that Trebek broke the tragic news that he had been diagnosed with stage IV pancreatic cancer, stunning fans of Jeopardy!, the show of which he had been hosted since 1984, presiding over an impressive 8,200 episodes over 34 seasons.
“Now normally, the prognosis for this is not very encouraging, but I’m going to fight this, and I’m going to keep working,” Trebek said at the time.
“And with the love and support of my family and friends and with the help of your prayers also, I plan to beat the low survival rate statistics for this disease.”
He joked: “Truth told, I have to! Because under the terms of my contract, I have to host Jeopardy! for three more years! So help me. Keep the faith and we’ll win. We’ll get it done. Thank you.”
In July 2020, over a year after his diagnosis, Trebek released a memoir titled The Answer Is…: Reflections on My Life, detailing within its pages his stance on his fight with cancer.
“I’m going to stick with this current protocol, then that’s it. If it doesn’t work I’ll probably stop treatment,” Trebek wrote, adding that he had already informed his family of the decision and that they all “had a good cry”.
“I’m not afraid of dying,” he added. “It wasn’t an easy conversation, and it isn’t any easier writing these words. Quality of life was an important consideration.”
Alex passed away on November 8 at the age of 80. He will be sorely missed.
If you thought this was interesting, check out the emotional tribute Alex’s daughter paid her late father on the second anniversary of his cancer announcement.
