Jim Thornton, the announcer for the game show "Wheel of Fortune," has been suspended and is being investigated by Sony Pictures Television Studios following allegations that he viewed an online chatroom described as "pedophilia"-related while on an airplane. The studio is recasting his role for the upcoming season.
Photos obtained by the Daily Mail appear to show Thornton, 61, looking at a laptop screen during an American Airlines flight in May. A close-up of the screen visible in the images contains messages that include phrases like "a nice hangout for kids" and "All-you-can-eat Boyffet." Another message references "CP," which the passenger who took the photos believed to be an abbreviation for "child pornography."
Timestamps on the photos suggest Thornton was in the chatroom for at least 57 minutes. He was reportedly wearing a "Wheel of Fortune" jacket at the time.
According to TMZ, the investigation stems from a complaint made by a fellow passenger on the May flight who alerted a flight attendant. The pilot of the plane subsequently arranged for law enforcement to meet Thornton upon arrival at Los Angeles International Airport. American Airlines confirmed that law enforcement met Flight 1276 on May 14 due to concerns reported by a customer.
Thornton was questioned by officers but was allowed to leave. His attorney, Allison Hart, stated that Thornton did not engage in any illegal conduct, was not arrested, and has not been charged with any crime. Hart also claimed that law enforcement determined no wrongdoing had occurred and cleared her client. She further stated that the website Thornton visited is not unlawful and does not contain child pornography or other pedophilic content, and that Thornton never viewed or downloaded any such material.
Hart explained that Thornton has been active in suicide-prevention advocacy since a family member died by suicide two years ago. He reportedly visits chat rooms offering support to individuals experiencing suicidal ideation, including the website 988lifeline.org. According to the attorney, Thornton was sent a link to a different chatroom, lifeline.chat, by an acquaintance from the suicide prevention group. This site is reportedly intended for individuals experiencing pedophilic thoughts, and Thornton claims he left the chatroom immediately after realizing its nature.
Despite these assertions, Sony Pictures Television Studios confirmed in a statement to the Daily Mail, "We have recently been made aware of allegations concerning Jim Thornton. He has been suspended from Wheel of Fortune and we are recasting while we conduct a thorough investigation."
Thornton, who began as the announcer for "Wheel of Fortune" in 2011, is rarely seen on the show, which is currently hosted by Vanna White and Ryan Seacrest. He is also a professional voice actor with credits including "Monsters, Inc.," "Wall-E," and a notable role as announcer Johnny Gomez on MTV's "Celebrity Deathmatch." He had a brief stint as an announcer on "The Price Is Right" in 2004.
Although he is primarily an announcer, Thornton did fill in for then-host Pat Sajak for one round in 2023. His appearance in the pre-taped episode that aired on Tuesday marked one of his last on the program amid the ongoing investigation.