Wheel of Fortune announcer Jim Thornton suspended after airline incident involving website visit

Jim Thornton, the announcer for "Wheel of Fortune," was suspended from the show after being questioned by police about a website he accessed during a May 14 flight. His attorney, Allison Hart, said Thornton mistakenly clicked a link that led to a forum called lifeline.chat, which he believed to be a suicide-prevention resource similar to sites he regularly uses.

"When my client understood what the website was about, he left the page and has not visited since," Hart wrote, adding that the site does not host illegal content and that Thornton has never viewed or downloaded child pornography.

Law enforcement officials met Thornton at the gate, questioned him, and released him without filing any charges. A Sony spokesperson confirmed that Thornton had been suspended while the network conducts a thorough investigation and that the upcoming season would be recast.

American Airlines acknowledged that a report was made about the incident and that police were notified. Insiders said a fellow passenger reportedly complained to a flight attendant, prompting the investigation.