Wheel of Fortune has fired longtime announcer Jim Thornton following an internal investigation, Sony Pictures Television confirmed this week. A company spokesperson said Thornton’s employment with the show “has been terminated, effective immediately” after the probe concluded.
What led to the investigation?
Sony launched its inquiry after a passenger on a May American Airlines flight from Charlotte to Los Angeles photographed what she said was Thornton’s laptop screen showing a chat room the passenger described as being used by people with pedophilic interests. Thornton was suspended from the show on September 1, when Sony first announced the investigation, and the photos began circulating publicly in the days that followed.
Thornton’s attorney has said his client did not engage in any illegal conduct, was not arrested and has not been charged with a crime. According to the attorney, Thornton has volunteered with suicide-prevention chat forums and believes he was sent a wrong link that redirected him to a similarly named site intended for people with pedophilic thoughts, rather than the crisis-support forum he meant to visit. The attorney has said timestamps from the photos do not, in his view, support claims that Thornton spent an extended period on the site.
Who will replace him on air?
Thornton had announced Wheel of Fortune since 2011, taking over after longtime announcer Charlie O’Donnell died. Sony has said an interim announcer will voice Thornton’s parts when the show returns for its new season on September 14, and the company has not named a permanent replacement. Thornton previously spent years as an announcer on The Price Is Right and as a radio news anchor before joining Wheel of Fortune.
Sources: The Hollywood Reporter · Variety
