Photos have emerged showing Wheel of Fortune announcer Jim Thornton panicking Googling AI search on his phone after he was caught in a ‘pedophilia’ chatroom during a flight, in an incident that led to him being fired from the show on Friday.
Earlier on Friday, the Daily Mail obtained photos allegedly taken by a fellow passenger showing Thornton, 61, visiting the site aboard a US airlines beam in May.
A close-up of the computer screen shows disturbing messages, including one participant describing a restaurant as “a nice hangout for kids” and mentioning a “couple of nice guys and a pretty girl.”
The passenger allegedly reported what she saw to a flight attendant, who forced Thornton to shut down his computer and then appeared concerned, she said. TMZ.
Now the Daily Mail has obtained photos showing Thornton using Google AI on his phone, apparently after being instructed to close his laptop.
Although the search result is partially hidden by his hand, part of the AI response is visible: ‘No link to your room: unless you explicitly tell someone, “I’m currently hosting this specific chat room”, no one can…’
The Daily Mail has asked Thornton’s counsel for comment.
Photos have emerged of Wheel of Fortune announcer Jim Thornton performing a panicked Google AI search on his phone after being caught in a ‘pedophilia’ chat room during a flight
Although the search result is partially hidden by his hand, part of the AI response is visible
The response read in part: ‘No link to your room: unless you have explicitly told someone, “I am currently hosting this specific chat room”, no one can…
Sony Pictures Television announced Friday afternoon that Thornton had been fired, four days after he was suspended from the program.
‘After a thorough investigation, Jim Thornton joined Wheel of Fortune terminated with immediate effecta representative told the Daily Mail.
A disturbing message in the chat room Thornton was visiting read: “All-you-can-eat Boyffet.” There was also a message referring to “CP,” which the passenger who took the photos thought was short for “child pornography.”
The timestamps on the photos – which show Thornton wearing a Wheel of Fortune jacket – show he was in the chat room for at least 57 minutes.
Thornton’s attorney, Allison Hart, said TMZ That the voice actor accidentally clicked on the site.
Hours after he was fired, Thornton’s Facebook account was no longer publicly accessible. The account was active earlier that day and featured behind-the-scenes photos and videos of Thornton on the popular game show.
Thornton’s name and photos were also removed from the show’s social media channels.
Hart said Thornton “had become active in suicide prevention advocacy since losing a close family member to suicide two years ago, and has spent time visiting chat rooms to offer support to those suffering from suicidal ideation.”
Earlier Friday, the Daily Mail obtained footage allegedly taken by a fellow passenger showing Thornton, 61, visiting the site aboard an American Airlines flight in May.
Thornton was fired from Wheel of Fortune on Friday afternoon
Hart said Thornton often visited a suicide prevention website called 988lifeline.org and the chat forum chat.988lifeline.org.
Thornton claims he was given a link to another chat room, lifeline.chat, by an acquaintance at the suicide prevention group. The site is intended for people with pedophilic thoughts.
Thornton claims he left the chat room after realizing what it was.
His lawyer added that the website he visited “is not unlawful, there is no unlawful child pornography or other pedophile content, and my client never viewed, downloaded or consumed child pornography, either on that commercial flight in May or at any other time.”
Hart said the announcer “did not engage in any illegal behavior, was not arrested and was not charged with any crime.”
The lawyer claimed: ‘When questioned about the complaint of a fellow passenger on the flight, the police spoke with him for five minutes or less, immediately determined that no foul play had occurred and told my client he was free to go.’
Thornton, 61, looked at a laptop screen during an American Airlines flight in May, in footage taken by a fellow passenger and obtained by the Daily Mail
The timestamps on the photos – which show Thornton wearing a Wheel of Fortune jacket – show he was in the chat room for at least 57 minutes.
Thornton’s attorney, Allison Hart, told TMZ that the voice actor accidentally clicked on the site
Hart said Thornton had become “active in suicide prevention advocacy” and had “spent time visiting chat rooms to offer support to those suffering from suicidal thoughts.”
Thornton claims he was given a link to another chat room, lifeline.chat, by an acquaintance of the suicide prevention group
Thornton claims he left the chat room after realizing what it was
His lawyer added that the website he visited is “not unlawful” and that “there is no unlawful child pornography or other pedophile content.”
Thornton’s lawyer said her client “never viewed, downloaded or consumed child pornography, either on that commercial flight in May or at any other time.”
Hart said the announcer “did not engage in any illegal behavior, was not arrested and was not charged with any crime.”
Thornton is rarely seen on the show, which is hosted by Vanna White and Ryan Seacrest
According to TMZ, another passenger allegedly complained about Thornton to a flight attendant on an American Airlines plane in May.
The plane’s pilot arranged for police to wait for Thornton as soon as he reached the gate.
Thornton was questioned by officers before being allowed to proceed.
In a statement to the Daily Mail, American Airlines said: “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 on board.”
Thornton’s tenure on the show began in 2011, when he replaced former announcer Charlie O’Donnell following his death in November 2010 at the age of 78.
Thornton is rarely seen on the show, which is hosted by Vanna White and Ryan Seacrest.
In addition to being the announcer on Wheel of Fortune, Thornton is also a voice actor who has recorded small roles in high-profile Disney-Pixar films, including Monsters, Inc and Wall-E.
However, TMZ noted that in 2023 he filled in for then-host Pat Sajak to host a round of the competition because a contestant was hoping to meet him.
Thornton had a brief stint as an announcer on The Price Is Right in 2004.
He has also done voice work in Disney-Pixar’s film Monsters, Inc and the video game adaptation of Wall-E.
The live-action announcer is best known for his appearance on the animated comedy The Cleveland Show and MTV’s Celebrity Deathmatch.
