Mayim Bialik Breaks Down in Tears on Flight to Israel After a Challenging YearA Year of Emotional Highs and Lows
Jeopardy! host Mayim Bialik has experienced a tumultuous 2022, filled with professional uncertainties and personal heartbreak. As the year came to a close, she found herself reflecting on the emotional weight of it all during a flight to Israel. In a candid and vulnerable Instagram Story, she shared a tearful moment, revealing just how challenging the past months had been.
Bialik, best known for her role as Amy Farrah Fowler on The Big Bang Theory, has spent the last year navigating the complexities of sharing hosting duties on Jeopardy! alongside Ken Jennings. The competition between the two fueled ongoing debate among fans, and the uncertainty surrounding her position subjected her to significant public scrutiny. In addition, the devastating loss of her Call Me Kat co-star, Leslie Jordan, added to the emotional burden she carried throughout the year.
A Tearful Journey to Israel
On December 21, Mayim left her Los Angeles home and embarked on a journey to Israel. During her flight, she shared a photo of herself watching a movie, her eyes red and puffy from crying. She revealed that while she had missed lighting the Chanukah candles that night, she was struck by a deeply emotional moment while watching Ray, a film she had already seen once before.
“On the fourth night of Chanukah 2022, I was on a plane to Israel, so I missed candle lighting,” she wrote. “Instead, I saw myself on the El Al comedy thumbnail for The Big Bang Theory and cried my eyes out watching Ray for the second time.”
Mayim quickly clarified that her tears were due to the film’s impact rather than seeing herself on the screen, adding a laughing emoji to lighten the tone. However, the moment served as a reminder of just how much she had been carrying with her throughout the year.
The Jeopardy! Controversy
The road to becoming a permanent host on Jeopardy! was anything but smooth for Mayim. While she and Ken Jennings now split hosting duties, the uncertainty earlier in the year led to intense backlash from fans.
In June, during an episode of her podcast Bialik Breakdown, she opened up about the criticism she faced. She recalled how fans would make deeply personal and sometimes hurtful comments comparing her to Jennings. “Sometimes I get, ‘We don’t prefer you to Ken,’” she admitted. “It’s the only profession where people will tell you deeply insulting things with a big smile.”
Beyond her hosting abilities, some fans also criticized her appearance. Mayim shared that people often expressed surprise when they saw her looking “pretty” in magazines, an experience that left her bemused yet resigned to public scrutiny.
Mourning Leslie Jordan
Adding to the emotional weight of the year, Mayim suffered a heartbreaking loss when her Call Me Kat co-star, Leslie Jordan, tragically passed away in a car crash in October at the age of 67. Jordan, a beloved actor known for his roles in Will & Grace and American Horror Story, had been a dear friend and mentor to Mayim.
Following his passing, she shared heartfelt photos of their time together on Instagram, along with a touching tribute. “They broke the mold when they made Leslie Jordan. He was a dear mentor and a beloved friend. I will miss him so much—it’s unimaginable that he’s gone. Rest well, sweet buddy.”
A Time for Reflection
As Mayim Bialik embarked on her journey to Israel, her tearful moment on the flight served as a poignant reflection of a year filled with challenges, growth, and loss. While 2022 may have tested her resilience, her willingness to share her emotions openly is a testament to her strength and authenticity. With the new year ahead, fans can only hope that Mayim finds solace, success, and healing in the months to come.
Jeopardy! host Mayim Bialik breaks down in tears in candid new photo on her flight to Israel after tough year
JEOPARDY! host Mayim Bialik has broken down in tears on her flight to Israel after her tough year hosting and losing a close colleague.
In 2022, Mayim received backlash as the trivia show remained undecided if she or Ken Jennings would be the permanent host and also mourned her Call Me Kat co-star Leslie Jordan.
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Jeopardy! host Mayim Bialik has faced an emotional 2022 yearCredit: ABC
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Mayim posted a vulnerable moment where she broke down in tearsCredit: Instagram / Mayim Bialik
On December 21, Mayim headed out from her $2.3M LA Studio City home to fly to Israel.
She posted a photo on her Instagram Story from the long flight.
Watching a movie playing on her airplane screen, Mayim appeared to have tears in her eyes and her face looked red and puffy.
She vulnerably captioned her post: “On the fourth night on Chanukah 2022, I was on a place to Israel, so I missed candle lighting.
“Instead, I saw myself on the El Al comedy thumbnail for The Big Bang Theory and cried my eyes out watching Ray for the second time.”
Mayim then clarified: “Also, the photo is me crying at Ray, not crying at myself on the television.”
She added a laughing emoji.
TOUGH YEAR
Mayim has shared her vulnerable moment after she’s faced a tough year with a lot of change.
Although now Mayim and Ken both split the hosting duties of Jeopardy! equally, for the beginning of 2022, there was controversy among dedicated fans as to which of the two would be the better permanent host.
Back in June, Mayim revealed she had read many “deeply insulting” comments from fans when they were asking the star about her rivalry.
At the time, she invited actor Justin Long on her podcast Bialik Breakdown and he shared he’s been a longtime fan of the trivia show.
Justin then buzzed in on if she has heard comments about viewers preferring Ken.
Mayim replied: “Sometimes I get ‘We don’t prefer you to Ken.’”
“Isn’t that wild?” Justin replied. “Well, it’s the only profession that I can think of — where people will tell you deeply insulting things but with a big smile?”
But Mayim quickly pivoted to discuss the looks category instead of the gameplay aspect of why that may be happening.
“[Fans will tell you] exactly how they feel Like ‘I saw you in a magazine. I was very confused. You looked pretty.’ I get that a lot.”
“Oh, jeez,” Justin responded. “This sounds like I’m bragging but…”
“You’re better looking in person?” Mayim interjected and moved on with a laugh.
MOURNING A LEGEND
In October, the beloved Will & Grace actor – and Mayim’s co-star on her sitcom Call Me Kat – died at 67 as he was involved in a fatal car crash in Los Angeles.
Mayim shared a few Instagram photos of Leslie on the day of the staggering loss, including one with the stars smiling side-by-side on the set of Call Me Kat.
The actress shared a thoughtful tribute: “They broke the mold when they made Leslie Jordan. He was a dear mentor and a beloved friend.
Mayim concluded: “I will miss him so much – it’s unimaginable that he’s gone. Rest well, sweet buddy.”
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Mayim was on a flight to Israel to celebrate Chanukah 2022Credit: Instagram / Mayim Bialik
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In 2022, Mayim faced intense backlash from fans over her Jeopardy! hostingCredit: NBC
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Mayim also mourned her Call Me Kat co-star Leslie Jordan after he died in a devastating car crashCredit: Getty
