Throughout its illustrious history, Jeopardy! has welcomed a number of different competitors, each making their own mark on the show. One of those series alums is now facing some legal issues. As the acclaimed game show continues to air its 42nd season amid the 2025 TV schedule, former contestant Philip Joseph “Joey” DeSena has been arrested. It’s been reported that DeSena was booked on the grounds of alleged “peeping.”
Joey DeSena was taken into custody on Monday, December 1, in North Carolina, according to MyFox8.com. Philip Joseph “Joey” DeSena filed a warrant for DeSena’s arrest, and he stands accused of installing cameras in someone’s bathroom and bedroom on October 10, 2025. Further specifics regarding the allegations against the 43-year-old Raleigh native have not been provided, as of this writing.
A development engineer, DeSena is currently facing two felony “peeping” charges, and he was reportedly not given bond. He’s currently set to make his first appearance in court for a probable cause hearing on Wednesday, December 10.
It was in November 2024 that Joey DeSena made his debut on Jeopardy! (which is streamable with a Hulu subscription), and he ultimately won that episode. By the end of that broadcast, DeSena amassed $17,487 in winnings, according to TV Insider. He eventually added to that sum when he won his second episode and brought his total up to $44,698. DeSena’s stint on the game show (which is now overseen by fan-favorite host Ken Jennings) ended with his third episode, though that wouldn’t mark his last on-air appearance.
By January 2025, DeSena returned to the show and vied alongside others to land a spot within the Tournament of Champions. He made it to the semi finals of the Wildcard tournament but came up short.
Although Joey DeSena’s time on the show was brief, he was involved in one particular moment that proved to be somewhat nostalgic for Ken Jennings. During one episode, DeSena responded correctly to a clue that was meant to troll Jenninings. The clue was specifically a callback to a viral faux pas that saw Jennings answer “What is a hoe?” when prompted with a statement under the “Tool Time” category. DeSena didn’t suffer such embarrassment as Jennings did decades ago when sharing his own answer.
Following his time on Jeopardy! – which has had some big winners over the years – DeSena continued to share his take on the show. Many of those thoughts were shared to Reddit, a forum on which a number of former contestants have historically shared their takes on the finer points of the previously mentioned game show. For instance, on the platform, DeSena spoke about how the “Lorelai” answer he used for one of his Final Jeopardy! rounds was a shoutout to his then-fourth-month-old daughter.
It currently remains to be seen as to how Joey DeSena’s legal situation will pan out. As of this writing, no statements have been released from any legal representation for DeSena.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
