'Wheel of Fortune' announcer Jim Thornton fired
Los Angeles, September 5
'Wheel of Fortune' announcer Jim Thornton has been fired by Sony.
In a statement shared with The Hollywood Reporter, a company spokesperson said, "Following a thorough investigation, Jim Thornton's employment with Wheel of Fortune has been terminated, effective immediately."
He was suspended from the show on Tuesday, with the company sharing at the time that an investigation had been launched.
"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 company's statement read.
Thornton's firing came just hours after TMZ reported that he was suspended after alleged pedophilia chatroom photos prompted an investigation. The outlet published photos they alleged were screenshots of Thornton's laptop that were taken by a passenger on an American Airlines flight in May from Charlotte to Los Angeles.
The passenger who took the photos told TMZ she saw images and texts that made it appear to be a chatroom for pedophiles; that same passenger notified a flight attendant about the alleged messages, sharing the photos with them. The captain reportedly notified the authorities and he was questioned at LAX after the flight landed, but was free to leave, per TMZ.
Thornton's lawyer, Allison Hart, told TMZ that he had "become active in suicide-prevention advocacy since losing a close family member to suicide two years ago, and he has spent time visiting chat rooms offering support to individuals suffering from suicidal ideation."
No permanent replacement has been announced so far.
— ANI
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