Laurin Bell’s family announced her passing this week, sharing details about the circumstances of her death. The former “Jeopardy!” contestant also left behind a dog that is now in urgent need of adoption from a local shelter.

According to reports, Laurin Bell was an executive assistant from Lakeland, Florida, though she was best known for her appearance on “Jeopardy!” She competed on the game show in an episode that aired on February 14, 2023.Bell made a strong impression on viewers with her gameplay. A spokesperson for the Florida Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed that Bell died on March 23.The “Jeopardy!” contestant’s death, at 41, has been ruled a suicide. The spokesperson stated, “An autopsy has been performed, and toxicology testing is underway.” No additional information about her death was released by the office.Following her death, Bell’s cousin, Kristen Joyner, shared a tribute on Facebook. She posted a photo of Bell, several images of her 14-year-old dog, Kinley, and a screenshot of her final private Facebook post. That post appeared to foreshadow her death, as the late star cryptically wrote, “Well everyone, I’m signing off from life. See you on the other side.”Joyner mourned her cousin in a heartfelt message uploaded on March 24. She said, “It is with a heavy heart that we have to let everyone know Laurin Bell decided to end her life last night.”Offering a glimpse into Bell’s personality, Joyner added, “She was a brilliant, funny, and beautiful soul.” She concluded the post by asking others, “Please keep everyone in your thoughts and prayers as they process this loss.”Joyner also shared that the late contestant’s beloved dog was taken to a shelter in Polk County, Florida, and is now in need of a new home. She asked anyone interested in adopting Kinley to reach out.The cousin explained that the dog is friendly with people and cats but does not get along well with other dogs. She described Kinley as a great companion who deserves love and noted that the dog has only ten days to find a loving home.Bell’s love for Kinley was clear, as she had previously posted images of the dog. On March 25, the Polk County Bully Project shared Joyner’s post about her cousin and the plea concerning the dog.The post stated that if no family steps forward to adopt Kinley by April 2, they “will be allowed to pull her to saftey [sic].” The organization explained that, according to county ordinance, they are not permitted to keep the dog at their facility until she is released from her ten-day hold.The post continued, “The thought of her sitting there is very sad to all of us. Thank you for sharing-we will need a foster for her as quickly as possible.” Hoping someone would foster or adopt the dog, the organization shared Bell’s story.During her appearance on “Jeopardy!”, she faced off against Blaine Smith and returning “Jeopardy!” champion Kendra Westerhaus. The champion had exactly double Smith’s score, finishing with $17,600, while her opponent had $8,800. Bell ended up with the lowest total, having $5,000.As the game grew more intense, the show’s host Ken Jennings urged Bell and her fellow contestants to “wager carefully.” Unfortunately, none of them seemed to follow his advice.

For the final clue under Arts & Science, Jennings read: “A craft that visited it was named for Giotto, based on the story that 680 years earlier, the painter depicted it as the Star of Bethlehem.”Bell chose to go all in; however, she answered incorrectly and dropped to $0. Referring to Smith, Jennings then noted that he had “exactly half my score”—a phrase familiar to fans of the show as a signal to wager everything for a possible tie.A perfect tie would have triggered a rare sudden-death round. But Smith opted not to risk it. He wagered $8,700 instead of the full $8,800—falling just $100 short—and also answered incorrectlyWesterhaus chose not to wager anything, rather than betting $1 or more, which would have made a tie-breaker very likely if she answered correctly. She was the only contestant to get the question right with “Haley’s Comet,” yet the betting decisions puzzled fans.Had Smith answered correctly and gone all in, he and Westerhaus would have tied. That narrow margin and the outcome of both wagers left viewers questioning why Smith held back and why Westerhaus didn’t bet at least $1 to prevent a tie.Sadly, Bell isn’t the only person in the media who’s died by suicide recently. About a week after losing her famous mother, Pamela Bach-Hasselhoff, this year, Taylor Hasselhoff-Fiore broke her silence with a loving and heartbreaking tribute to the woman she considered her best friend and more.On March 13, 2025, Taylor Hasselhoff-Fiore, Pamela Bach-Hasselhoff’s daughter, finally opened up about her mother’s passing. Taking to her Instagram Story, she shared several throwback images of herself as a child with her late parent.The images also included Taylor’s sister, Hayley Hasselhoff, as a child, along with moments of the whole family together, including Pamela’s ex-husband, David Hasselhoff. One picture showed the late actress smiling while posing with a trophy.Below the photos, Taylor wrote a heartfelt message to her late mother. Expressing her grief, she wrote, “I’d do anything in the world to hug you again, my forever angel. You are my best friend, my whole heart, my everything.”She continued, “I promise to make you proud & celebrate you every day. London will know all about how incredible you are & I promise I will protect Hayley forever… mama I love you so much, the pain is unbearable but I will be strong for you & hold onto your memory until we meet again my beautiful. [sic]”London is Taylor’s daughter, whom she shares with her husband, Madison Fiore. This wasn’t the first time Taylor had shared these images on her social media.

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