Former Wheel of Fortune announcer Jim Thornton linked to controversial online forum, leading to termination
Jim Thornton was dismissed after a passenger reported his laptop activity on a chat site during a flight; the site’s operators defended its purpose while his lawyer said he was seeking a suicide-prevention forum.
A passenger on a May flight from North Carolina to Los Angeles photographed former "Wheel of Fortune" announcer Jim Thornton's laptop screen and reported messages that appeared to discuss minors. Law enforcement questioned Thornton after the aircraft landed, though he was not arrested or charged. The images showed Thornton using the website Lifeline.chat for about an hour.
Lifeline.chat issued a statement acknowledging media coverage but denied that the platform hosts illegal activity. The organization said it exists because individuals attracted to minors lack other sources of support and face a risk of being reported to authorities simply for expressing their feelings.
Thornton's attorney maintains that he was trying to access a suicide-prevention forum and was inadvertently directed to the site, and denies any involvement with child pornography. Following an internal investigation, Sony Pictures Television terminated Thornton, who had been the show's announcer since 2011.