"Wheel of Fortune" announcer Jim Thornton has been suspended from the show after new photos, first published by TMZ, allegedly showed him viewing a disturbing chatroom on his laptop during a commercial flight in May.
What happened on the flight
According to TMZ, a fellow passenger on the 14 May flight noticed what she described as concerning content on Thornton's screen and alerted a flight attendant. Photos shared with the outlet reportedly show messages exchanged in the chatroom over a period of roughly an hour. Law enforcement met Thornton at the gate upon landing, questioned him, and released him. He has not been arrested or charged in connection with the incident.
His attorney's response
Thornton's attorney, Allison Hart, said in a letter that he had accidentally clicked into the site while trying to visit a suicide prevention support chatroom, after losing a close family member to suicide two years ago. She said he had intended to visit 988lifeline.org, a legitimate crisis support service, but was misdirected by an acquaintance to a similarly named site with a different purpose. According to Hart, once Thornton realised what the site actually was, he left immediately and never returned to it.
Hart stated that the site itself is not unlawful and does not host illegal content, and said Thornton has never viewed, downloaded, or engaged with child exploitation material, on that flight or at any other time. She pointed to the fact that he was released without charge as confirmation that no crime had occurred.
Sony's response
A spokesperson for Sony confirmed Thornton has been suspended from "Wheel of Fortune" while the company conducts an investigation, and said producers are recasting his role. He is reportedly being edited out of the show's upcoming 44th season as replacements are arranged.
