Jim Thornton controversy explained: Why is the Wheel of Fortune announcer suspended?
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Jim Thornton controversy explained: Why is the Wheel of Fortune announcer suspended?")
Jim Thornton Photograph: (IMDb)
Jim Thornton, the long-time announcer of Wheel of Fortune, has been suspended amid allegations. Read to know more about the controversy.
Jim Thornton has been grabbing headlines for all the wrong reasons. The Wheel of Fortune announcer has been suspended from the show amid allegations surrounding a recent incident. Almost a week later, details have emerged about the incident that led to his suspension, with an investigation now underway.
Why has Jim Thornton been suspended from the show?
The controversy reportedly stems from an incident on May 14, when Thornton was travelling aboard American Airlines Flight 1276 from Charlotte, North Carolina, to Los Angeles. According to reports from TMZ and Page Six, a fellow passenger noticed what appeared to be a chat room related to paedophilia displayed on Thornton's laptop. The passenger reportedly took photographs of the screen and alerted airline personnel. The concerns were serious enough that law enforcement met the aircraft when it arrived at Los Angeles International Airport. Thornton was questioned by authorities before being allowed to leave.
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The attorney claimed that Thornton was directed by an acquaintance to a website with a URL similar to the official 988 suicide-prevention service. According to her account, Thornton believed he was accessing another suicide-support forum and did not initially understand the nature of the site. Hart said that once Thornton realised what the website was about, he left it and did not return.
Reportedly, the attorney of Jim Thornton, Allison Hart, stated that he had visited the site by accident. She stated, "My client has 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."
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"One of the sites my client has visited is 988lifeline.org, and its chat forum is chat.988lifeline.org. Through an acquaintance in the suicide prevention space, my client was misdirected to a forum with a similar URL, the forum lifeline. chat, which my client understood to be a forum offering suicide prevention support similar to 988lifeline.org and chat.988lifeline.org", the attorney further stated.
Is Jim Thornton being recast on Wheel of Fortune?
Jim Thornton's role as the announcer on Wheel of Fortune is being temporarily recast while the studio conducts an investigation. Sony Pictures Television had even confirmed Thornton's suspension in a statement, saying, “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 statement did not provide further details about the allegations or specify how long Thornton's suspension will last. His position on Wheel of Fortune is now set to be recast while the investigation continues.
Jim Thornton is an American radio and television announcer, news anchor, and voice actor. He is known for his voiceover work in video games. He began hosting the game show Wheel of Fortune in 2011, following the death of long-time announcer Charlie O'Donnell. He has also announced Celebrity Deathmatch and narrated a portion of Monsters, Inc.
