Wheel of Fortune's Jim Thornton Fired After New Details Emerge
"Wheel of Fortune" has fired longtime announcer Jim Thornton, Sony Pictures Television has confirmed, days after the show suspended him earlier this month over unspecified allegations tied to a police response during a May flight to Los Angeles.
From Suspension to Firing
Sony first announced Thornton's suspension on Sept. 1, saying in a statement that the company had "recently been made aware of allegations concerning Jim Thornton" and was "recasting while we conduct a thorough investigation."
Days later, the company confirmed the announcer's employment had ended entirely, stating that following the investigation, his employment "has been terminated, effective immediately." Neither Sony nor Thornton has detailed the specific allegations that triggered the inquiry, and the studio has not said publicly what its investigation ultimately turned up before it moved from suspension to termination.
What Happened on the Flight
The scrutiny traces back to American Airlines Flight 1276 on May 14, when a passenger complained to a flight attendant about Thornton's conduct, prompting the pilot to request that law enforcement meet the plane at LAX. Officers questioned Thornton, who was wearing a "Wheel of Fortune" jacket at the time, and released him without filing charges.
American Airlines confirmed law enforcement met the flight following concerns reported by a customer onboard, though the airline did not elaborate on what those concerns involved. Thornton's attorney said his client "did not engage in any illegal conduct, was not arrested, and has not been charged with any crime." The attorney added that officers "spoke to him for five minutes or less, immediately determined that no wrongdoing had occurred and told my client he was free to go."
The Explanation Behind the Messages
Part of the scrutiny stems from photos TMZ said it obtained showing Thornton browsing a chat forum on his laptop during the flight, with exchanges that referenced sexual content, including disturbing mentions of minors. But his attorney offered context, saying Thornton had been active in suicide-prevention advocacy after losing a family member to suicide two years earlier, and that an acquaintance had pointed him to a forum whose web address closely resembled a legitimate crisis helpline.
The site instead "claims to offer mental health support to individuals with pedophilic thoughts," his attorney said, adding that Thornton left as soon as he realized what the site actually was. No criminal charges have been filed in connection with the matter, and Thornton has not personally addressed the allegations in public.
A Voice Wheel of Fortune Fans Knew Well
Thornton, 61, was confirmed as "Wheel of Fortune's" new announcer on June 13, 2011, taking over full-time duties after longtime announcer Charlie O'Donnell's death, and has since narrated more than 2,200 episodes of the show alongside stints on "Celebrity Wheel of Fortune."
A Huntington, West Virginia, native with a linguistics degree from Marshall University, Thornton got his broadcasting start in 1985 and spent years as an afternoon news anchor at Los Angeles all-news radio station KNX 1070 before landing the "Wheel of Fortune" job. His other television credits include substitute-announcing on "The Price Is Right," voicing a character on "Celebrity Deathmatch," announcing for "The Cleveland Show" and lending his voice to Pixar's "Monsters, Inc." In one memorable 2023 broadcast, Thornton and host Pat Sajak briefly swapped roles during a bonus round at a contestant's request.
Sony has not said whether his replacement will be permanent, and the network has not given a timeline for when its investigation into the allegations is expected to conclude.
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