Jim Thornton has been fired from his role as the announcer for "Wheel of Fortune" following an incident aboard an American Airlines flight in May. Sony Pictures Television Studios confirmed the termination, stating that Thornton's employment was effective immediately after a thorough investigation.
News of Thornton's suspension first broke on September 1. At the time, a Sony Pictures Television Studios representative said the company was made aware of allegations concerning Thornton and was recasting the role while an investigation was conducted. The suspension was reportedly linked to an incident on American Airlines Flight 1276 from Charlotte, North Carolina, to Los Angeles on May 14.
American Airlines confirmed that law enforcement met the flight upon its arrival at Los Angeles International Airport due to concerns reported by a customer onboard. Thornton's attorney, Allison Hart, stated that her client did not engage in any illegal conduct, was not arrested, and has not been charged with any crime. According to Hart, law enforcement spoke to Thornton for a brief period and determined no wrongdoing had occurred.
TMZ later reported that producers for "Wheel of Fortune" were working to re-edit episodes featuring Thornton for the season premiere on September 14, describing the effort as a "major undertaking."
Hart elaborated on the incident, explaining that Thornton had been active in suicide-prevention advocacy after losing a close family member to suicide. She claimed he had been visiting chat rooms offering support to individuals struggling with suicidal ideation and was misdirected by an acquaintance to a forum with a similar URL, "forumlifeline.chat," which he believed offered similar support to the 988lifeline.org website. Thornton's attorney stated that he understood the forum provided suicide prevention support and was unaware that "lifeline.chat" claims to offer mental health support to individuals with pedophilic thoughts. Hart asserted that Thornton left the page immediately upon realizing its nature and has not visited it since, emphasizing that he never viewed or downloaded child pornography.
Despite the attorney's statements, photos published by TMZ, allegedly taken by a passenger seated next to Thornton, appeared to show him engaged in conversations on his device during the nearly hour-long chatroom session. The passenger reportedly alerted a flight attendant, who then notified law enforcement. Officers questioned Thornton upon his arrival in Los Angeles, after which he was released. As of now, Thornton has not been arrested or charged in connection with the incident.