Wheel of Fortune announcer Jim Thornton suspended pending investigation
Jim Thornton was suspended from "Wheel of Fortune" after allegations that he accessed a questionable online chatroom during a flight, which he and his lawyer deny.
Sony Pictures Television announced that "Wheel of Fortune" announcer Jim Thornton has been suspended while the company conducts a thorough investigation into recent allegations. The claims stem from a report that a passenger on an American Airlines flight in May saw Thornton’s laptop open to a chatroom that appeared to contain content related to minors. The passenger said they reported the incident to a flight attendant, and authorities questioned Thornton at Los Angeles International Airport upon landing, after which he was released.
The allegations were first reported by TMZ, which said it received photographs of Thornton’s screen. The images have not been independently verified. Thornton’s attorney, Allison Hart, declined to comment directly but reportedly described the situation as a misunderstanding, stating that Thornton has been involved in suicide-prevention advocacy and that the chatroom in question was not illegal and did not contain child-exploitation material.
Thornton, who has worked in radio and television news in Los Angeles and has voiced characters in various media, has not issued a public statement. His social media activity has been dormant since 2016, and he no longer appears to be represented by a talent agency.
"There is no unlawful child pornography or other pedophilic content and my client never viewed, downloaded or consumed any child pornography," the lawyer’s statement said.
Sony said the company is recasting the announcer role while the investigation proceeds.