Longtime Wheel of Fortune announcer Jim Thornton has been suspended by Sony Pictures Television Studios while the company investigates allegations involving him.
Sony said it recently became aware of the allegations and that Thornton has been removed from the show for now as it conducts a thorough review. The studio did not disclose the reason for the suspension.
According to reports, the issue stemmed from an incident on a commercial flight in May. A passenger reportedly complained to a flight attendant, prompting the pilot to arrange for law enforcement to meet Thornton when the plane landed at Los Angeles International Airport. Officers questioned him at the gate before he was released.
American Airlines said Flight 1276 was met by law enforcement on May 14 after concerns were reported by a customer onboard.
Thornton joined Wheel of Fortune in 2011 after the death of longtime announcer Charlie O’Donnell. Though he is usually only heard on the show, he once appeared on-air in a 2023 segment at the request of contestant Sarah Ward.
Before Wheel of Fortune, Thornton also worked on The Price Is Right, The Soup and The Cleveland Show, and voiced a commercial announcer in Pixar’s Monsters, Inc..