According to the report, Thornton was reported to a commercial flight crew by another passenger for unspecified reasons during the flight, while a source directly involved in the incident noted, “the pilot called ahead to have law enforcement meet Thornton when they arrived at the gate.” No further details are currently available, although lawyers for Thornton have denied any wrongdoing, stating their client “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.”
Sony Pictures TV seems to know more about the incident, however, since on Tuesday Thornton was suspended from his job, with a spokesperson releasing a statement noting, “we are recasting while we conduct a thorough investigation.” (Whether it’s related to the current controversy or not, several videos featuring Thornton on the official Wheel Of Fortune YouTube channel appear to have been deleted.)
Thornton, a former award-winning radio news anchor in Los Angeles, took over the coveted job of kicking off Wheel Of Fortune after the show’s previous announcer Charlie O’Donnell died in 2010. He’s also performed announcing duties for spinoff Celebrity Wheel Of Fortune since 2021, and has previously done voice work for The Cleveland Show, Monsters Inc., and Tim & Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!, among others.
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