Former "Wheel of Fortune" announcer Jim Thornton terminated after airline incident

Jim Thornton, who had served as the announcer for "Wheel of Fortune," was dismissed from the show after a May 14 incident on an American Airlines flight from Charlotte to Los Angeles. A fellow passenger photographed Thornton using a laptop and later reported that he appeared nervous when a flight attendant asked him to close the device. The passenger’s images, released by media outlets, showed Thornton typing a query that included the phrase “Why You … to Panic" and a partially visible search result.

Sony Pictures Television confirmed that Thornton’s employment was terminated effective immediately, stating that the decision followed a thorough investigation. The company had previously suspended him on September 1 after learning of the allegations. American Airlines said law enforcement met the aircraft upon arrival at Los Angeles International Airport after a passenger raised concerns.

Thornton’s attorney, Allison Hart, told reporters that her client did not engage in illegal activity, was not arrested, and faced no charges. She said law enforcement questioned Thornton for only a few minutes, determined no wrongdoing, and released him. Hart also claimed Thornton mistakenly accessed a suicide-prevention chat site (988lifeline.org) but was redirected to a different domain, lifeline.chat, which she described as offering mental-health support for individuals with pedophilic thoughts but containing no illegal content.

Photos released by a passenger showed Thornton’s screen displaying a chatroom with messages posted under the username “NicholasB77.” The dialogue included references to children in a restaurant setting. No evidence of child-exploitation material was identified, and Thornton has not been charged.

Thornton, who is married and has a son, has not publicly commented on his termination.