Updated

Updated · USA TODAY · Sep 3

Jim Thornton's Lawyer Denounces Flight Report, Says Police Cleared Him in 5 Minutes

Updated

Updated · USA TODAY · Sep 3

Jim Thornton's Lawyer Denounces Flight Report, Says Police Cleared Him in 5 Minutes

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 · USA TODAY · Sep 3

Thornton's lawyer said police questioned the "Wheel of Fortune" announcer for five minutes or less after a May flight complaint, found no wrongdoing and let him go.
The lawyer called TMZ's report "defamatory," saying it falsely implied criminal conduct even though Thornton was not arrested, charged or accused of illegal behavior by law enforcement.
American Airlines confirmed Flight 1276 was met by police at Los Angeles International Airport on May 14 after a customer raised concerns onboard.
Sony has still suspended Thornton and begun recasting while it investigates; his lawyer said the internal probe was triggered by TMZ's request for comment ahead of the show's Sept. 14 Season 44 premiere.