Suspended ‘Wheel of Fortune’ announcer Jim Thornton accused of visiting pedophilia chat room
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- Former “Wheel of Fortune” announcer Jim Thornton allegedly participated in a chat room for pedophiles, according to photos published by TMZ.
- Sony suspended Thornton from the beloved trivia show earlier this week amid an ongoing investigation into unspecified allegations.
New allegations have emerged in the controversy surrounding longtime “Wheel of Fortune” announcer Jim Thornton, who was suspended from the beloved trivia show earlier this week amid an ongoing probe by its production studio.
TMZ, days after breaking news of Thornton’s suspension, on Thursday published photos of the announcer allegedly visiting a website that claims to be a support chat for “people with pedophilic thoughts” while aboard a flight. In photos taken by a neighboring passenger, Thornton’s computer screen apparently shows messages of one user saying they “saw a couple of cute boys and a hot little girl” at a restaurant they referred to as an “All-you-can-eat Boyfett” and a second user referring to “CP,” commonly shorthand for child pornography. The photos published by TMZ also appear to show Thornton, who is wearing a black jacket embroidered with the “Wheel of Fortune” logo on his sleeve, typing into the chat room.
A legal representative for Thornton did not immediately respond to The Times’ request for comment Friday, but spoke to TMZ. His attorney Allison Hart told the outlet that Thornton became a suicide-prevention advocate after a loved one took their life two years ago and he has since spent time visiting crisis chat rooms to offer “support to individuals suffering from suicidal ideation.”
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According to TMZ, Thornton claimed an acquaintance from a suicide prevention group sent him a link to an unrelated, non-crisis chat room — the one seen in the photos. Thornton also reportedly said he quickly left the disturbing chat room “once he found out what it was.” Time stamps seen in the photos show Thornton remained in the chat room for nearly an hour.
The passenger complained about Thornton to a flight attendant and shared the photos with the crew, according to TMZ. American Airlines informed the outlet that a passenger was met by law enforcement upon arrival at Los Angeles International Airport on May 14, although the airline did not identify the individual.
“Wheel of Fortune” producer Sony Pictures Television Studios confirmed to The Times this week that it was aware of then-unspecified allegations concerning Thornton and that he was suspended. Sony is recasting the role amid a “thorough” investigation. Sony did not immediately confirm whether the photos published by TMZ were related to its ongoing investigation.
CBS will continue to distribute the shows in the U.S. for an additional two and a half years. After that, Sony will claim the domestic distribution rights.
Thornton’s attorney told TMZ earlier this week that the 61-year-old “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,” his attorney continued.
Thornton joined “Wheel of Fortune” in 2011 following the death of announcer Charlie O’Donnell.
Thornton’s credits include “The Price Is Right,” “Jeopardy!” and “Celebrity Wheel of Fortune.” Thornton’s voice was also featured in the 2001 animated hit “Monsters, Inc.,” and video games including “Wall-E” and “Mafia II.”
