Jim Thornton has been fired from his role as announcer on "Wheel of Fortune," ending his 13-year tenure with the long-running game show. Sony Pictures Television confirmed the termination, with a spokesperson saying, "Following a thorough investigation, Jim Thornton's employment with Wheel of Fortune has been terminated, effective immediately." The company also noted they had "recently been made aware of allegations concerning Jim Thornton." Thornton had been suspended earlier in the week pending the investigation's outcome.
The dismissal stems from an incident on an American Airlines flight in May. TMZ reported that a passenger seated near Thornton became concerned after seeing messages on his laptop screen referencing "cute boys" and a "hot little girl." The passenger alerted a flight attendant and took photos of the screen. The images, later published by TMZ, appear to show Thornton active on a website using the handle "NicholasB77," with timestamps suggesting he remained in the chat for nearly an hour. The photographs also show the flight attendant intervening, after which Thornton appeared on his phone, seemingly reading search results.
American Airlines confirmed the incident, stating, "On May 14, American Airlines Flight 1276 was met by law enforcement upon arrival at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) following concerns reported by a customer onboard." The flight attendant alerted the captain, who requested law enforcement meet the flight. Police spoke with Thornton at the gate but released him without arrest or charges.
Thornton's attorney, Allison Hart, has denied any wrongdoing. She told TMZ that her client "did not engage in any illegal conduct, was not arrested, and has not been charged with any crime." She further explained that when law enforcement questioned him, they "spoke to him for five minutes or less, immediately determined that no wrongdoing had occurred and told my client he was free to go." Hart claimed that Thornton had accidentally entered the chat room while attempting to visit a suicide-prevention website, and that he left as soon as he realized his mistake. Fellow passengers, however, told TMZ that Thornton appeared nervous after the confrontation and had discussed hiding the site's name from other passengers.
Thornton's personal Facebook account was deactivated shortly after his dismissal, and his name and image have been removed from "Wheel of Fortune" social media channels. He has not yet issued a personal statement.
Thornton, 61, had been with "Wheel of Fortune" since 2011, taking over following the death of longtime announcer Charlie O'Donnell. He was a well-known voice in the industry, with previous credits including a run as a try-out announcer on "The Price Is Right" and voice roles in "Celebrity Deathmatch" and "The Cleveland Show." He also lent his voice to the 2001 Pixar film "Monsters, Inc." as a commercial narrator.
The show's upcoming season is set to premiere later this month, and it remains unclear who will replace Thornton as announcer.