Heartbreaking New Details Revealed About The Death Of Late Jeopardy! Champ Brayden Smith

Devastating new details have been confirmed regarding the tragic death of Brayden Smith, who was best known for appearing on "Jeopardy!" where he was dubbed as "Billy Buzzsaw" by late host Alex Trebek, who himself died just a few months before Brayden.

Brayden died at just 24 years old in February 2021, with his mom, Debbie Smith, confirming the sad news on Twitter. "We are heartbroken to share that our dear Brayden Smith recently passed away unexpectedly. We are so grateful that Brayden was able to live out his dream on @jeopardy," Debbie wrote on February 12 alongside a shot of her son on the long-running NBC series.

"Jeopardy!" also paid tribute to the late contestant, quoting Debbie's tweet and adding, "The 'Jeopardy!' family is heartbroken by the tragic loss of Brayden Smith. He was kind, funny and absolutely brilliant. Our deepest condolences go out to Brayden's family. He will be missed."

Brayden's cause of death was not made public when his death was confirmed, though local news station KLAS reported a few days later that Brayden had surgery a few days before his untimely death (via Deadline). It was not revealed at the time what for or if it played any part in his passing, but now we're learning more about the tragic details surrounding Brayden's death and why his family have filed a lawsuit.

Things have turned litigious in the death of "Jeopardy!"'s Brayden Smith, as his family are reportedly suing two hospitals related to his passing. The hospitals are both located in Nevada, where Brayden is from, and the lawsuit comes from his mom and dad, Scott Smith and Debbie Smith, according to Las Vegas Review-Journal.

The lawsuit shed some light on heartbreaking details about his final days revealed in court documents, with the lawsuit alleging the TV star "was malnourished, was extremely weak, and was a very ill young man" in the days before he died. The documents also alleged, "His last days were a nightmare. His death was preordained by the misconduct of doctors and nurses. None of this had to be."

Brayden died as a result of pulmonary emboli after surgery to have his colon removed, meaning he developed a blood clot that made its way to his lung, blocking the proper flow of blood around his body. The lawsuit alleged Brayden wasn't given anticoagulants to help prevent clotting.

In May 2021, "Jeopardy!" confirmed it would be donating to the Brayden Smith Memorial Fund, which his family set up in his honor. "Our family is deeply touched by @Jeopardy's ToC tribute to Brayden and its pledge to support the Brayden Smith Memorial Fund," Debbie tweeted in response. "What a formidable group of Champs. Brayden would feel honored to be counted among you."

Our thoughts continue to be with Brayden's family at such a tragic time.