Investigation Underway As ‘Wheel Of Fortune’ Announcer Is Suspended
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The announcer for Wheel of Fortune, Jim Thornton, has been suspended from the game show.
This decision was disclosed to TMZ in a Tuesday, Sept. 1, statement made by Sony Pictures Television Studios, which reads:
“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.”
What the allegations against Thornton are have not been specified, either by Sony or by TMZ.
Expounding upon the unspecified alleged incident which led to Thornton’s suspension, TMZ received a statement from American Airlines, which says, “On May 14, American Airlines Flight 1276 was met by law enforcement upon arrival at Los Angeles International Airport following concerns reported by a customer onboard.”
Notably, Thornton’s name was not mentioned by the airline.
In a statement issued to TMZ by Jim Thornton’s attorney, the situation on the flight was verified, with the attorney responding in the following manner:
“[Jim Thornton] 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.”
Following the 2010 death of longtime Wheel of Fortune announcer Charlie O’Donnell, Thornton got the gig as announcer in 2011.
In addition to announcing for Wheel of Fortune, he has contributed his voice to shows and films, including The Cleveland Show and the Pixar film Monsters, Inc. (2001).
Variety adds that his start as a voice actor began in 1985 when he was an anchor on KNX 1070 Newsradio, working as a traffic reporter.
Thornton is also the announcer for Celebrity Wheel of Fortune.
Here, Thornton can be seen with Wheel of Fortune fixture Vanna White:
This is a developing story.
