Wheel of Fortune announcer Jim Thornton is being edited out of upcoming episodes while Sony Pictures Television Studios investigates allegations against him.
Producers are facing a major undertaking to remove Thornton's audio cues and recast the role across a month's worth of pre-taped shows before the new season premieres on September 14, sources told TMZ on Wednesday.
The decision follows Thornton's suspension from the long-running game show, which Sony confirmed on Tuesday after receiving reports of undisclosed allegations against the veteran announcer.
In a statement provided to the Daily Mail, Sony Pictures Television Studios said: "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."
The studio's statement notably did not offer any details regarding the nature of the allegations leveled against Thornton.
It remains unclear whether the replacement is intended to be permanent, or if Thornton could return to the program once the investigation is concluded.
Airplane Incident at Los Angeles Airport
According to TMZ, the investigation stems from an incident during a commercial American Airlines flight Thornton took on May 14.
Another passenger onboard allegedly complained about Thornton to a flight attendant during the flight.
The situation was apparently serious enough that the aircraft's pilot arranged for law enforcement officers to be waiting for Thornton at the gate upon arrival at Los Angeles International Airport.
Thornton, who was photographed on the flight wearing a Wheel of Fortune jacket, was questioned by officers at the gate before being permitted to go on his way.
Thornton's attorney defended the announcer to TMZ, stating that he "did not engage in any illegal conduct, was not arrested, and has not been charged with any crime."
"When questioned about the complaint made by a fellow passenger on the flight, law enforcement 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 attorney said.
American Airlines also addressed the incident in a statement to the Daily Mail, confirming: "On May 14, American Airlines Flight 1276 was met by law enforcement upon arrival at Los Angeles International Airport following concerns reported by a customer onboard."
Wheel of Fortune Career and Hosting History
Thornton's career as the voice of Wheel of Fortune spans more than a decade, dating back to 2011 when he took over the role following the death of former announcer Charlie O'Donnell, who died in November 2010 at age 78.
At the time Thornton joined, the iconic syndicated game show was co-hosted by Pat Sajak and Vanna White.
Sajak hosted the program for over 40 years before retiring, leading to television presenter Ryan Seacrest joining White as co-host starting in September 2024.
While Thornton is rarely seen on camera during broadcasts, TMZ noted that in 2023 he stepped out from his announcer booth to fill in for Sajak to host a round of competition because a contestant had hoped to meet him.
Despite his current suspension, Thornton still appeared on Tuesday's pre-taped episode of the show. The Daily Mail has reached out to Thornton for comment, but he has not yet responded.
Voice Acting Roles and Celebrity Deathmatch
Prior to joining Wheel of Fortune, Thornton briefly worked as an announcer on the game show The Price Is Right in 2004.
In addition to his live-action game show announcing, Thornton has worked extensively as a voice actor. He recorded small roles for Disney-Pixar's feature film Monsters, Inc. and the video game adaptation of Wall-E.
Thornton's voice acting resume also includes appearances on the animated comedy series The Cleveland Show and MTV's Celebrity Deathmatch.
His most prominent acting role was voicing co-commentator Johnny Gomez on MTV's cult stop-motion animation series Celebrity Deathmatch. Thornton starred as part of the main cast in the show's revival, which aired for two seasons from 2006 to 2007, after the original series aired from 1998 to 2002.
The animated comedy featured gruesome wrestling matches between celebrities that ended with one of them dying in comically over-the-top fashion, with Thornton providing color commentary as Gomez.
