What is Heartbreak? Jeopardy! Contestant Blames Patriots For Lost Winnings

New England Patriots fan Jake DeArruda spent his "Jeopardy!" winnings on women, alcohol and sports gambling.

New England resident Jake DeArruda lived the dream as a Jeopardy! contestant. But then it deteriorated into a nightmare, and he paid to make it disappear.

DeArruda was back on the buzzer this week as part of the long-running quiz show's "Tournament of Champions," having previously earned over $86,000 during a victorious three-game streak in January 2023. Asked by host Ken Jennings where that money went during a break in the action, DeArruda, a delivery routing assistant from Vermont, admitted that a good bit was spent on his beloved New England Patriots ... for better and worse.

"I was 23 years old when my games aired last year, so I did what anybody under the age of 25 would do," DeArruda said. “I promptly spend the check on sports gambling and women and alcohol.”

Sony Pictures Television

DeArruda assured the humored host and audience that he didn't truly blow all five figures but that the Patriots were responsible for some of his more pricy endeavors.

"I spent 20 bucks on a college football pick ’em that went horribly wrong, 20 bucks to take my date and I to the top of the Gillette Stadium Lighthouse, and several four packs of hard cider to get through the awful Patriots season that I endured,” DeArruda declared.

Last year's Patriots season certainly required a few packs of Angry Orchard to fully endure: New England endured a brutal four-win campaign, one that eventually led to the end of the Bill Belichick era after 24 other victorious years at the helm. Like DeArruda, the Patriots will look to buy their way back to euphoria, as the team is blessed with over $78 million in cap space to work with come this offseason.

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While DeArruda earned an extra $5,000 for his next Patriots game, parlay, and more, he will not be advancing to the TOC's semifinal round, falling to fellow three-time winner Yogesh Raut.  

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