Jim Thornton, the former announcer for "Wheel of Fortune," has had his employment with the show terminated, effective immediately, following allegations of engaging in an online pedophilia chatroom. His social media presence was subsequently impacted, with his Facebook account reportedly going dark just hours after the news of his firing became public.
Sony Pictures Television Studios confirmed Thornton's termination on Friday. The company had previously suspended him on September 1, stating they had "been made aware of allegations concerning Jim Thornton" stemming from an incident on an American Airlines flight on May 14. The flight was reportedly met by law enforcement upon arrival in Los Angeles due to concerns raised 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." She explained that Thornton was mistakenly directed to lifeline.chat, a website she claims is not unlawful and contains no illegal content, while attempting to access the 988lifeline.org chat forum, which provides support for individuals with suicidal thoughts. Hart asserted that Thornton "did nothing wrong" and "left the page and has not visited since" realizing its nature, adding that he "has never viewed, downloaded or consumed any child pornography."
Despite the attorney's statements, TMZ published photos allegedly taken by a passenger on the flight, appearing to show Thornton engaged in the chatroom for nearly an hour. The messages, purportedly from Thornton under the username "NicholasB77," included comments about children and a phrase referencing an outlet interpreted as "All-you-can-eat Boyffet." The same report indicated Thornton appeared "nervous" after a flight attendant alerted him to the situation and subsequently searched Google for information on linking internet activity to identity.
Thornton, who joined "Wheel of Fortune" in 2011, was reportedly scrubbed from the show's social media channels, with his name and image removed. Staff were also said to be working to edit him out of the upcoming season, which was set to debut on September 14. Thornton has not personally addressed his firing.