Wheel of Fortune announcer Jim Thornton has been defended by a former contestant after he was fired following an incident on a flight in May in which he was photographed by a fellow passenger while looking at a ‘pedophilia’ chatroom on his laptop.
Thornton, 61, was also pictured in a ‘panic’ after being caught at the scene on board the American Airlines plane at the time.
Now, a former Wheel of Fortune contestant named Joshua Beach has come to Thornton’s defense, calling him one of his “heroes,” while also saying people are rushing to label him a pedophile before all the facts are known.
Beach — who appeared on an episode of Wheel of Fortune in October 2022 — took to his Facebook on Saturday to make a lengthy post that began, “I’ve said for years that Jim Thornton is one of my heroes. His career and his voice were a big part of what encouraged me to get into voiceover and acting myself. It has been really hard for me to see what has happened over the past few days.
‘I’ve seen the pictures. I read what was allegedly in that chat room. Some of it is disturbing, and I’m not going to downplay that or pretend it doesn’t bother me.
‘But I also don’t like seeing how the internet takes a series of photos and immediately converts them into a complete judgment about another person.’
Wheel of Fortune announcer Jim Thornton has been defended by a former contestant following his dismissal following an incident on a flight in which he was photographed by a fellow passenger while looking at a ‘pedophilia’ chatroom on his laptop
Thornton, 61, was also pictured boarding the American Airlines plane in May
The Daily Mail has reached out to Thornton and his lawyer for comment but has not yet heard back.
Days ago, Thornton’s attorney Allison Hart said the television personality visited the site accidentally, as he 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.
Wheel of Fortune contestant Beach brought up his attorney’s explanation in the post, writing, “Jim’s attorney provided an explanation as to why he was on that site. People can believe that explanation or question it. Sony conducted its own investigation and decided to fire him. These are facts that deserve to be recognised.
“It is also a fact that the police noticed his flight, questioned him, and he was not arrested or charged with a crime. And that distinction is important to me.’
Beach went on to explain that he may feel “particularly strongly” about this topic because he understands what it’s like to dismiss an accusation and have people pretend it’s evidence.
He continued by writing, “I’m not saying I know Jim is innocent. I wasn’t on that plane, I didn’t see every piece of evidence, and I don’t know what was going on in his head. But the people who call him a pedophile with absolute certainty don’t know that either.’
Beach explained that “innocent until proven guilty” should not be a thing and that judgment should be postponed until the actual truth comes to light.
Now, a former Wheel of Fortune contestant named Joshua Beach has come to Thornton’s defense, calling him one of his “heroes,” while also saying people are rushing to label him a pedophile before all the facts are known.
Beach – who appeared on an episode of Wheel of Fortune in October 2022 – took to his Facebook on Saturday to post a lengthy message
He concluded: “If the evidence ultimately shows that Jim did something criminal or harmed someone, then I will have to reconcile that with the person I have admired for so many years.
“But I’m not going to retroactively erase what his work meant to me, pretend he didn’t inspire me, or declare someone guilty of something so serious because the internet has already passed judgment.
‘I don’t know exactly what happened. And right now, I think being willing to say, “I don’t know” is a lot more responsible than pretending I know. I wish he could see this so he would know he’s not hated by everyone.”
The post came after Thornton was fired from Wheel of Fortune after he was photographed looking at a ‘pedophilia’ chat room on his laptop.
Sony Pictures Television announced the news in a statement Friday afternoon, four days after the popular announcer was suspended from the program.
“Following a thorough investigation, Jim Thornton’s employment with Wheel of Fortune has been terminated with immediate effect,” a representative told the Daily Mail.
Earlier on Friday, the Daily Mail obtained footage allegedly taken by a fellow passenger aboard an American Airlines flight in May, showing Thornton visiting the location on board the plane.
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.”
Thornton 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
Photos have since emerged of Thornton conducting a frantic Google AI search on his phone after being caught in a ‘pedophilia’ chatroom during a flight
Another disturbing message reads: ‘All-you-can-eat Boyffet.’ There is 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.
As previously mentioned, 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.”
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 is rarely seen on the show, which is hosted by Vanna White and Ryan Seacrest
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.’
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.
