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Sony Pictures Television has officially terminated Jim Thornton, the longtime announcer for the game show Wheel of Fortune. The dismissal follows a period of suspension related to an incident that occurred during an American Airlines flight on May 14.
According to reports, a passenger on the flight alerted a flight attendant after observing Thornton’s laptop screen, which displayed a chat room. The passenger alleged that the chat contained inappropriate messages and content referencing children in a sexual manner. The passenger provided photographs of the screen to media outlets, which appeared to show Thornton active in the chat for approximately one hour. Upon the flight’s arrival at Los Angeles International Airport, law enforcement officials interviewed Thornton but released him without filing any charges.
Allison Hart, an attorney representing Thornton, has denied any wrongdoing on behalf of her client. In a statement to TMZ, Hart characterized the incident as a misunderstanding, asserting that Thornton never downloaded, possessed, or viewed images of child sexual abuse. Hart claimed that Thornton accessed the chat room accidentally while attempting to locate a suicide prevention resource. She stated that the two chat rooms had similar names and that Thornton exited the page immediately upon realizing the nature of the content.
Despite the attorney’s claims, social media users have noted that timestamps on the provided photographs suggest Thornton remained in the chat room for longer than the few minutes described by his legal counsel. Thornton has not issued a public statement regarding the termination.
Thornton had served as the announcer for Wheel of Fortune since 2010. Following the allegations, Sony Pictures Television removed him from the production of the show’s 44th season. Reports indicate that the studio is currently editing Thornton out of previously recorded episodes. A replacement for the announcer position has not yet been named.
Article source: jornalinside.com | Image credit: jornalinside.com
