Updated

Updated · Fox News · Sep 3

Sony Suspends 61-Year-Old Jim Thornton From Wheel of Fortune After Flight 1276 Allegations

Updated

Updated · Fox News · Sep 3

Sony Suspends 61-Year-Old Jim Thornton From Wheel of Fortune After Flight 1276 Allegations

Q: What secret flight behavior caused Sony to suspend a beloved announcer even after police cleared him of wrongdoing?

The specific behavior has not been publicly disclosed. What is known is that a fellow passenger on American Airlines Flight 1276 complained to a flight attendant about Jim Thornton’s conduct, prompting the pilot to request law enforcement at the gate when the plane arrived at Los Angeles International Airport. Police questioned Thornton briefly and, according to his lawyer, determined within minutes that no wrongdoing had occurred. He was not arrested, charged, or accused of a crime. Even so, Sony Pictures Television said it only recently learned of the allegations and suspended him from “Wheel of Fortune” while it conducts its own internal investigation. So the “secret” behavior remains unconfirmed in public reporting. The available facts point only to an onboard passenger complaint and Sony’s decision to investigate the allegation independently of the police response.

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Sep 3

Sony Pictures Television suspended Jim Thornton and began recasting his "Wheel of Fortune" role while it investigates allegations tied to an American Airlines flight in May.
American Airlines said Flight 1276 was met by law enforcement at Los Angeles International Airport on May 14 after a customer reported concerns about Thornton's behavior onboard.
Thornton's lawyer said the 61-year-old was neither arrested nor charged, and that officers questioned him for less than five minutes before telling him he was free to go.
Thornton has been the show's announcer since 2011, replacing Charlie O'Donnell, making the suspension a notable disruption for one of the franchise's longest-serving on-air voices.