Wheel of Fortune announcer Jim Thornton has been fired from the game show after he was photographed looking at what has been described as a 'pedophilia' chatroom on his laptop. Sony Pictures Television announced the decision in a statement on Friday afternoon, four days after the 61-year-old was suspended from the program.
'Following a thorough investigation, Jim Thornton's employment with Wheel of Fortune has been terminated, effective immediately,' a Sony representative told the Daily Mail.
Earlier the same day, the Daily Mail obtained images allegedly taken by a fellow passenger on an American Airlines flight in May, showing Thornton visiting the site aboard the aircraft.
What the photos allegedly show
A close-up of the computer screen shows messages including one participant describing a restaurant as 'a nice hangout for kids,' and mentioning a 'couple of cute boys and a hot little girl.' Another message reads 'All-you-can-eat Boyffet.' A further message references 'CP,' which the passenger who took the photos believed stood for 'child pornography.'
Timestamps on the photos, which show Thornton wearing a Wheel of Fortune jacket, indicate he was in the chatroom for at least 57 minutes.
Lawyer says he clicked by mistake
Thornton's lawyer, Allison Hart, told TMZ that the voice actor clicked on the site by mistake. The Daily Mail has reached out to Thornton for comment but has not heard back.
Hart said Thornton had become active in suicide-prevention advocacy since losing a close family member to suicide two years ago, and had spent time visiting chat rooms offering support to people suffering from suicidal thoughts. She said he often visited the suicide prevention website 988lifeline.org and its chat forum, chat.988lifeline.org.
Thornton's account of the chatroom
Thornton claims he was sent a link to a different chatroom, lifeline.chat, by an acquaintance from the suicide prevention group. That site is intended for people experiencing pedophilic thoughts. Thornton claims he left the chatroom once he realized what it was.
His lawyer added that the website he visited is 'not unlawful, there is no unlawful child pornography or other pedophilic content,' and that her client 'never viewed, downloaded or consumed any child pornography whether on that commercial flight in May or at any other time.'
Hart said the announcer 'did not engage in any illegal conduct, was not arrested, and has not been charged with any crime.' She said that 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 no wrongdoing had occurred, and told him he was free to go.
What happened on the flight
According to TMZ, another passenger complained about Thornton to a flight attendant on the American Airlines plane in May. The pilot arranged for law enforcement to be waiting for Thornton once he reached the gate, and officers questioned him before allowing him to go on his way.
American Airlines said in a statement to the Daily Mail: '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.'
Thornton's career on Wheel of Fortune
Thornton's tenure on Wheel of Fortune began in 2011, when he replaced former announcer Charlie O'Donnell following O'Donnell's death in November 2010 at age 78. Thornton is rarely seen on the show, which is hosted by Vanna White and Ryan Seacrest.
TMZ noted that in 2023 Thornton filled in for then-host Pat Sajak to host a round of the competition because a contestant was hoping to meet him. He also had a brief stint as an announcer on The Price Is Right in 2004.
Voice acting work
In addition to his announcing role, Thornton is a voice actor who has recorded small roles in Disney-Pixar films including Monsters, Inc, as well as in the video game adaptation of Wall-E. He is best known for appearing on the animated comedy The Cleveland Show and MTV's Celebrity Deathmatch.
