Sept. 2, 2026
Wheel Of Fortune Star Suspended After Pilot Calls Police Over Alleged Plane Incident
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RSS Feed A major announcement from the number one syndicated show on TV: ‘Wheel Of Fortune’ is suspending its longtime announcer Jim Thorton after it was “made aware of allegations” stemming from an American Airlines flight back in May. The details are scarce, but reportedly a fellow passenger on Thorton’s flight complained about him to a flight attendant, who then alerted the pilot, who then called law enforcement. Thorton’s reps have denied that he engaged in any illegal conduct and said police determined there was no wrongdoing within five minutes of talking to him. If that’s the case, then why did Sony suspend him? A lot of questions remain to be answered.
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00:00:02
Speaker 1: Hey there, folks. It is Wednesday, September 2nd. The longtime voice of Wheel of Fortune has been suspended. And we don't really know why. And with that, welcome to this episode of Amy and TJ. We have a mystery here, Robes, that is involving one of the most important pieces of property on television. So obviously people are paying attention to this. But yeah, the guy whose voice... you hear on that show, booming voice that even introduces the stars, he's been suspended.
00:00:35
Speaker 2: Yeah, and nobody messes with Wheel.
00:00:38
Speaker 3: I mean, Wheel of Fortune has a tried and true formula that people love. This is the fabric of people's lives.
00:00:47
Speaker 2: And this is a big deal.
00:00:49
Speaker 3: Yes, I mean, I remember 30 years ago when I was in local news, and if we did anything to interrupt Wheel of Fortune, if there was a breaking news, the phones would start ringing off the hook in the newsroom, do not mess with people's wheel of fortune. And so this is a huge story. And it's also a huge mystery involving an airline, a plane passenger, law enforcement, and now Sony.
00:01:19
Speaker 1: And we can't piece it together just yet. But the fact remains that Jim Thornton has been suspended. Now, which guy is this? Every once in a while, you will hear one of the hosts, Ryan or even Pat over the years will say, thanks, Jim. Jim Thornton is the guy who's booming. When you hear the open say, Wheel of Fortune, the next thing you hear is a guy say, ladies and gentlemen, here are the stars of our show, Vanna White and Ryan Seacrest. Then throughout robes, there are prizes. who wants to take a trip to Venice. He's that voice who does all of that.
00:01:54
Speaker 3: I feel like you're auditioning right now, and you might even have a shot at it, babe.
00:01:57
Speaker 1: No, they do not want me coming in on top of controversy. Probably not their guy. But that is the guy we're talking about, a very important guy who is the first person you hear from every day you watch this hit show.
00:02:11
Speaker 3: Yes, and this is a position you don't leave. And case in point, he... got this position in 2010 because the previous announcer died. Literally died doing this job. This is a job that is enviable. Anyone who's got that great radio voice, that booming voice, this is kind of like the pinnacle.
00:02:35
Speaker 2: And this is something you would never walk away from.
00:02:38
Speaker 1: On a show that's going nowhere. They like me. I'm here for good. And what do I have to do? I have to talk. I have to almost say the exact same thing every day. This is my job. And oh yeah, by the way, which months are they off? They tape these shows like two days a week. They tape five. You don't work that much is what I'm saying. I'm not taking away from the effort. Not that. That's not what I'm saying. But the schedules that these shows keep, you will never give up a hit show like this.
00:03:11
Speaker 2: Absolutely not.
00:03:12
Speaker 3: I was reminded of there are only a few shows that have an important announcer like that. And the only other one I could think of is Price is Right, where you had Johnny Olsen, Rod Roddy. These are names that actually you don't see their faces. You don't know what they look like, but you know their voices. And you would hear Bob Barker or somebody reference them because you heard Johnny Olsen going, come on down.
00:03:36
Speaker 1: You need them because they were such characters in the show. That is what Jim is. By the way, Price is Right is the only other TV show that's been on, game show, longer than Wheel of Fortune. Wheel of Fortune is a really big deal. Robes, we don't hear about a lot of controversies.
00:03:49
Speaker 3: No.
00:03:49
Speaker 1: We don't hear about a lot coming out of there because they know what they're doing and folks have been there a long time. They know how to, Robes, to hear any kind of thing out of there was a surprise. We just want to make sure we're making this sound the right way. Facts are the facts. He's been suspended. Why? We don't know. So don't want to suggest anything. So all we can give you is the facts as we know them.
00:04:09
Speaker 3: Yeah. We know he was a former traffic reporter in LA. So he's had a long, long career.
00:04:15
Speaker 2: He is, I believe I had.
00:04:17
Speaker 3: His age 60. He's 61 years old, married with a kid. Like this is a guy and look, this is a wholesome show. This is a family show. And so anything that might look untoward is going to be taken very seriously. And that's pretty much all we can tell you is something seems like something bad happened, but we don't know exactly what it was. We know police were involved, but we know he wasn't charged.
00:04:42
Speaker 1: But it's not the police and it's not the airline saying that anything bad happened. It's not Sony Pictures either, Robes, which owns Wheel of Fortune. They're not saying something bad happened. They said they are investigating what happened, but what they know so far has prompted them for a suspension. Robes, I... I don't know what they could have heard that rose to a level that we need to check this out.
00:05:09
Speaker 3: It seems like someone very soon is going to get their hands on this incident or this police report.
00:05:16
Speaker 2: Because here's what.
00:05:17
Speaker 3: Sony Pictures put out as their official statement in regards to this matter. We have recently been made aware of allegations concerning Jim Thornton.
00:05:31
Speaker 2: He had recently, he had been suspended.
00:05:33
Speaker 3: From Wheel of Fortune, and we are recasting while we conduct a thorough investigation.
00:05:39
Speaker 2: Recasting. That implies that, yes, he's been suspended, but they are filling his role.
00:05:45
Speaker 3: Like, he is no longer going to be the voice of Wheel of Fortune. I don't know how far in advance they tape these shows.
00:05:53
Speaker 1: Yeah, because he was on last night. His voice was heard last night. It'll be heard for how long, I don't know. If they have to make this move, that means they need somebody in place because some more taping is about to go on. I don't know how long. Because they do. They tape these in big chunks.
00:06:08
Speaker 3: Yep.
00:06:09
Speaker 2: And here's the deal.
00:06:09
Speaker 3: This is September 2nd. We're recording this. This was an incident that reportedly happened back in May. And we're just now learning about this. And apparently, Sony Pictures and Wheel of Fortune is just now.
00:06:22
Speaker 2: Hearing about this.
00:06:23
Speaker 1: That was my question there. I guess so, Robes. But why is it coming up? May, June, July, August, September? Why is it coming? Who decided to bring it to their attention?
00:06:32
Speaker 2: This is so bizarre.
00:06:34
Speaker 3: So TMZ is the one who broke the story, and it's their reporting on this incident on a.
00:06:39
Speaker 2: Flight in May.
00:06:40
Speaker 3: And what we know is that a fellow passenger complained about Thornton, but we don't know what that complaint was. We know that passenger took their complaint to the flight attendant, and the flight attendant took the complaint to the pilot.
00:06:57
Speaker 1: Robes what? What? That had to be... Robes, that's a threat of some kind.
00:07:04
Speaker 3: Or some sort of sexual harassment where someone felt like they were uncomfortable enough to bring attention to the matter, and it seemed to be significant enough that the pilot then alerted police. And law enforcement was called to LAX, where this plane was landing, to meet the plane to interrogate Jim Thornton.
00:07:27
Speaker 1: Robes, I don't know. Maybe as a company... That's serious enough, right? That's all I need to hear. Would you call him first and get his side? Maybe a captain of a commercial airline heard something about your behavior on a plane that caused him to call law enforcement. Okay, that sounds actually like a big deal.
00:07:45
Speaker 2: It sounds like a huge deal.
00:07:47
Speaker 3: And look, it seems like everyone on the plane, including the complainant, knew that Jim Thornton was affiliated with Wheel of Fortune, or at least.
00:07:57
Speaker 2: Thought he was, because....
00:08:00
Speaker 3: You'd think if he was actually apparently wearing a Wheel of Fortune jacket. If you're wearing your company logo, if we had ABC News jackets, which we had for certain types of stories.
00:08:11
Speaker 1: IHAR jackets.
00:08:12
Speaker 3: Let's stay current.
00:08:13
Speaker 2: Let's say we have IHAR jackets.
00:08:15
Speaker 3: I would think you're always and you should always obviously be on your best behavior. But especially if you're wearing your company's logo, you would then even be more aware that people would be looking at you and affiliating you with a certain show, a beloved show. Maybe even ask you, oh, my God, what do you do for Wheel of Fortune? It just seems like at that moment to choose to wear signage or logos of your own company that you would literally be on your best behavior.
00:08:43
Speaker 1: Yeah. We're not going to go to our weekend rave with iHeart gear on.
00:08:47
Speaker 3: No. Or like, look, I remember they used to give us those big Good Morning America umbrellas. And I remember a couple of times being so irritated because it was the only umbrella I had. And knowing that I'm walking around the streets of New York with this massive Good Morning America umbrella on, that's going to draw attention to you. So my point is, obviously, wearing that jacket would draw attention to him. So it's so interesting that he chose, if it's true, if these allegations are true, to behave in a certain way that would draw negative attention to him while wearing a Wheel of Fortune jacket.
00:09:19
Speaker 1: What if it was a miscommunication of some kind? What if she saw something on his computer or his phone that she took a certain way and thought it was wrong?
00:09:28
Speaker 2: It's all possible.
00:09:29
Speaker 1: Right? Maybe he did nothing to anyone other than alarm them by something he was just doing on his own. Maybe. I don't know.
00:09:38
Speaker 2: There are so many questions. What did he do? What did he say?
00:09:42
Speaker 3: What rose to the level that the pilot called police? And then why has there been this bizarre four-month delay in there being any action taken against him by Wheel of Fortune? Or have this become public in any way, shape, or form?
00:09:59
Speaker 1: Well, through his... attorney and through TMZ, there has been a response from Jim Thornton and Robes. This is, I mean, everything he points out, these are facts. Right.
00:10:09
Speaker 3: And if, look, we'll read his statement in a second. And well, maybe let's read the statement and then I have questions. So Jim Thornton, through his attorney, said this to TMZ. Jim Thornton 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. My question is, if all of that is true, why then would he be suspended?
00:10:50
Speaker 1: The public is supposed to accept that statement that Sony Pictures did not. Rose, that's cut and dry. I mean, so what are we talking about? What are we talking about, baby, that they heard that police only took them five minutes to clear up? What are we talking about?
00:11:08
Speaker 3: I don't know, but I know that you and I have been subjected to Employment issues because we were a distraction, even though no wrongdoing was found and they had to clearly say that we didn't violate anything regarding our contract. So is a distraction enough of a reason for them to suspend?
00:11:29
Speaker 1: The suspension is causing the distraction.
00:11:33
Speaker 2: Well, and we've argued.
00:11:34
Speaker 3: About this before. Like we've personally experienced this. Sometimes like it's just a weird knee jerk reaction. And the facts haven't actually been able to be parsed out yet.
00:11:45
Speaker 1: So he needs to be given a bunch of grace right now until we find out what's going on. And Rose, if that statement is true, he should be at work.
00:11:56
Speaker 3: Exactly.
00:11:57
Speaker 1: And if Sonny doesn't want him at work, it's a private whatever matter, but this is a beloved show. He has a beloved voice at this point. They might owe a little more... To explain why we've had to dump the guy y'all have been listening to for 15 years.
00:12:12
Speaker 3: Yes. Look, we don't know the facts, but just initially my reaction is.
00:12:18
Speaker 2: I'm a little thrown.
00:12:20
Speaker 3: Because to just cast aside somebody who has been a loyal member of your family, a beloved member of your family.
00:12:28
Speaker 1: Maybe they know something, baby.
00:12:29
Speaker 2: Exactly.
00:12:31
Speaker 3: Over an allegation that police did not.
00:12:35
Speaker 3: Take action on.
00:12:35
Speaker 1: See, that's just not an allegation of anything.
00:12:38
Speaker 3: Correct.
00:12:39
Speaker 1: A complaint? Robes, this is... And again, maybe we'll learn more, Sony, and this will all make sense later. But right now, if what this statement says is true, Robes here from his attorney, then I feel bad for him. All this is being talked about, assumptions that are being made. I feel bad for him. Because the suspension has now made it a news story of a different kind. But maybe they didn't want it to be a news story that their employee... gets accused of blank, blank, blank, blank, blank, and that's coming later.
00:13:14
Speaker 3: But yes, I mean, obviously it's going to come out. But the worst part is when you don't know, when you're ambiguous, when you just dance around whatever it is, people.
00:13:23
Speaker 2: Assume the worst. And maybe it is the worst, but.
00:13:25
Speaker 3: Maybe it's not. And that's what's a damn shame about the fact that people are now speculating what he could have done, what might have happened.
00:13:33
Speaker 1: That's tough. But you said the truth is going to come out. Maybe, what if it already has? What if this is it? Is that possible?
00:13:41
Speaker 2: It is.
00:13:42
Speaker 1: And they suspended him?
00:13:44
Speaker 2: We personally experienced this.
00:13:47
Speaker 3: Look, I think even if we hadn't gone through what we went through, I might also be assuming the worst and jumping on board with a lot of some of what people are expressing. But we know that this happens, that companies get scared and they overreact before all the facts are made to be known. That might not be the case, but I hold space that it could be the case.
00:14:08
Speaker 1: All right. Well, stay here. We did hear from American Airlines about this. You'll hear their statement. It's very, very short and will remind you just how big of a deal Wheel of Fortune is.
00:14:30
Speaker 2: Welcome back, everyone, to Amy and TJ.
00:14:32
Speaker 3: We are talking about a major headline rocking Wheel of Fortune and all the fans who love the show who are very aware of that booming voice at the beginning. He's been there since 2010. We're talking about Jim Thornton and he has been suspended over an ambiguous complaint that never actually required police involvement. They were involved, but they didn't follow through. They didn't charge him with anything. So we don't really know what this complaint was. We just know that there was some sort of allegation made about Jim Thornton while he was on an American Airlines flight in May of this year.
00:15:13
Speaker 1: I want to be fair here. A complaint. We don't know what an allegation. There is no allegation. It's not a letter that he did this or that or this or that. It's just a passenger said something to a flight attendant who said something to the captain. And whatever the captain heard was serious enough that he called ahead to have police meet his plane. That elevates things. But, Robes, when I hear the police talk to this man for less than five minutes and everybody went their own way, it sounds like it was cleared up. But now, Sony has suspended him.
00:15:46
Speaker 2: Sony has suspended him. He has responded.
00:15:50
Speaker 3: And if what he is saying is true, that there was nothing here to see. That's certainly confusing why Wheel of Fortune has made the decision it's made. But American Airlines also put out a statement and it reads, on May 14th, American Airlines flight 1276 was met by law enforcement upon arrival at Los Angeles International Airport following concerns reported by.
00:16:16
Speaker 2: A customer on board.
00:16:18
Speaker 3: What will be interesting is, can we get our hands, was there a police report? I imagine anytime police have to respond to something, they have to Create a report. Is that report, obviously, if it's findable, it will be found. And maybe that will provide some details? Surely.
00:16:35
Speaker 1: There's got to be a report that exists and should always exist after a captain calls police to meet his plane.
00:16:44
Speaker 2: Absolutely.
00:16:44
Speaker 1: It's got to be out there.
00:16:47
Speaker 3: And whoever this passenger is who made this complaint, are we going to hear from that person?
00:16:52
Speaker 2: Are they going to speak out? Are they going to weigh in? Especially if that.
00:16:57
Speaker 3: Person believes some wrong was done to them and they see this statement by Jim Thornton saying, I didn't do anything to anybody.
00:17:04
Speaker 2: This is all BS.
00:17:05
Speaker 3: That could piss someone off and say, actually, I'll tell you what did happen.
00:17:10
Speaker 2: So I do.
00:17:12
Speaker 3: Believe it seems likely that we will hear much more about this story.
00:17:16
Speaker 1: Also, that TM, Timsey had a picture of him on the plane?
00:17:19
Speaker 3: Yes.
00:17:19
Speaker 1: Is that what that was?
00:17:20
Speaker 3: Yes. And I don't know if it seemed like maybe the passenger took the picture because they wanted to know who this person was.
00:17:28
Speaker 2: And that's why I'm actually.
00:17:29
Speaker 3: Surprised it hasn't come out sooner with the way things are on social media. And it does look like there is a picture of him wearing a Wheel of Fortune jacket on a plane. We don't know if that is from the passenger who made the complaint, but it seems likely that it Like, what would be the chances that they would have a photo of him on a plane with the Wheel of Fortune jacket?
00:17:49
Speaker 1: And he's sitting, what, in the middle? What is that? I can't tell if there's an aisle. Or he's across the aisle, it appears, sitting in first class. And one person next to him is what it appears. This is a weird photo. And who is sitting across the way taking that picture? Who is... if you're across the aisle from him, why are you taking that photo? Why is that necessary?
00:18:08
Speaker 3: This is just, it's very strange. It's very strange. And I can't even explain that picture. It doesn't make a lot of sense. This story right now makes no sense.
00:18:19
Speaker 1: Um, but yes, they got to get this right road. It would take a lot to rock this show to the point that, uh, It would do much damage to it. But a reminder, the show is the one Pat Sajak holds a Guinness World Record for.
00:18:31
Speaker 3: Yeah.
00:18:32
Speaker 1: As the longest game show host. And he left it in 2024. But he had been with the show since 81. Vanna joined in 82. Wow. I think they did 40 whatever years together in syndication. It was really, really cool.
00:18:44
Speaker 3: And I didn't, you know, I always forget that the first host was Chuck Woolery. Yeah. who was like the man when it came to game shows. He was like a superhero host of game shows.
00:18:55
Speaker 1: Which one is he most closely aligned with?
00:18:56
Speaker 2: Chuck Worre.
00:18:57
Speaker 1: A dating show, wasn't it?
00:18:58
Speaker 2: I thought he was. Wait, there's so many.
00:19:01
Speaker 1: But he is a game show hosting legend, but most people don't associate him with that show because... Of course, Pat Sajak.
00:19:09
Speaker 3: Yes. Love Connection was his big one. Of course.
00:19:11
Speaker 2: Love Connection. Oh, my God. From 1983 to 1994. We'll be back in two and two.
00:19:17
Speaker 3: I used to love Love Connection.
00:19:19
Speaker 2: He also hosted Scrabble, Greed, Lingo, The Dating Game. He was everywhere. I actually got to go. It was only a one day. season show, Greed.
00:19:29
Speaker 3: But when I was with the Fox affiliate in DC, WTTG, Fox 5, they sent me out to LA to be a contestant on Greed, like a mock one.
00:19:38
Speaker 2: And I got to meet him and he was just as charming.
00:19:41
Speaker 3: You wouldn't because it was from 1999 to 2000. Were you still in school then, baby, when I was in my second job in my career?
00:19:48
Speaker 1: Sweetheart, my high school graduation. had just taken place.
00:19:51
Speaker 2: Not in 1999. Stop it.
00:19:54
Speaker 1: Stop it.
00:19:54
Speaker 2: I was already on my second job in D.C.
00:19:56
Speaker 3: But yeah, I did get to meet him, and he was just as charming and pleasant as you could imagine. But all those game show guys, whether you're the announcer or the host, they have a certain... grandfatherly or fatherly, trustworthy image. And I think that perhaps even an allegation or an insinuation that you aren't this family man, that somehow that's enough to suspend someone. Now, look, he hasn't officially been fired, but they knew damn well by announcing this suspension that this was going to wreak havoc on the show and on the headlines. So for them to take this step, they had to know There would be massive fallout, lots of questions, and a lot of people.
00:20:42
Speaker 2: Wanting to know more.
00:20:44
Speaker 1: Well, this is what we know for now. It ain't a lot, but that is it. This is one to watch. We're not sure how soon we might get updates about this story, but I can't imagine this being the end of it. But we appreciate you as always, folks. Stick with us. I'm TJ. That's Robes. We'll talk soon.
Speaker 1: Hey there, folks. It is Wednesday, September 2nd. The longtime voice of Wheel of Fortune has been suspended. And we don't really know why. And with that, welcome to this episode of Amy and TJ. We have a mystery here, Robes, that is involving one of the most important pieces of property on television. So obviously people are paying attention to this. But yeah, the guy whose voice... you hear on that show, booming voice that even introduces the stars, he's been suspended.
00:00:35
Speaker 2: Yeah, and nobody messes with Wheel.
00:00:38
Speaker 3: I mean, Wheel of Fortune has a tried and true formula that people love. This is the fabric of people's lives.
00:00:47
Speaker 2: And this is a big deal.
00:00:49
Speaker 3: Yes, I mean, I remember 30 years ago when I was in local news, and if we did anything to interrupt Wheel of Fortune, if there was a breaking news, the phones would start ringing off the hook in the newsroom, do not mess with people's wheel of fortune. And so this is a huge story. And it's also a huge mystery involving an airline, a plane passenger, law enforcement, and now Sony.
00:01:19
Speaker 1: And we can't piece it together just yet. But the fact remains that Jim Thornton has been suspended. Now, which guy is this? Every once in a while, you will hear one of the hosts, Ryan or even Pat over the years will say, thanks, Jim. Jim Thornton is the guy who's booming. When you hear the open say, Wheel of Fortune, the next thing you hear is a guy say, ladies and gentlemen, here are the stars of our show, Vanna White and Ryan Seacrest. Then throughout robes, there are prizes. who wants to take a trip to Venice. He's that voice who does all of that.
00:01:54
Speaker 3: I feel like you're auditioning right now, and you might even have a shot at it, babe.
00:01:57
Speaker 1: No, they do not want me coming in on top of controversy. Probably not their guy. But that is the guy we're talking about, a very important guy who is the first person you hear from every day you watch this hit show.
00:02:11
Speaker 3: Yes, and this is a position you don't leave. And case in point, he... got this position in 2010 because the previous announcer died. Literally died doing this job. This is a job that is enviable. Anyone who's got that great radio voice, that booming voice, this is kind of like the pinnacle.
00:02:35
Speaker 2: And this is something you would never walk away from.
00:02:38
Speaker 1: On a show that's going nowhere. They like me. I'm here for good. And what do I have to do? I have to talk. I have to almost say the exact same thing every day. This is my job. And oh yeah, by the way, which months are they off? They tape these shows like two days a week. They tape five. You don't work that much is what I'm saying. I'm not taking away from the effort. Not that. That's not what I'm saying. But the schedules that these shows keep, you will never give up a hit show like this.
00:03:11
Speaker 2: Absolutely not.
00:03:12
Speaker 3: I was reminded of there are only a few shows that have an important announcer like that. And the only other one I could think of is Price is Right, where you had Johnny Olsen, Rod Roddy. These are names that actually you don't see their faces. You don't know what they look like, but you know their voices. And you would hear Bob Barker or somebody reference them because you heard Johnny Olsen going, come on down.
00:03:36
Speaker 1: You need them because they were such characters in the show. That is what Jim is. By the way, Price is Right is the only other TV show that's been on, game show, longer than Wheel of Fortune. Wheel of Fortune is a really big deal. Robes, we don't hear about a lot of controversies.
00:03:49
Speaker 3: No.
00:03:49
Speaker 1: We don't hear about a lot coming out of there because they know what they're doing and folks have been there a long time. They know how to, Robes, to hear any kind of thing out of there was a surprise. We just want to make sure we're making this sound the right way. Facts are the facts. He's been suspended. Why? We don't know. So don't want to suggest anything. So all we can give you is the facts as we know them.
00:04:09
Speaker 3: Yeah. We know he was a former traffic reporter in LA. So he's had a long, long career.
00:04:15
Speaker 2: He is, I believe I had.
00:04:17
Speaker 3: His age 60. He's 61 years old, married with a kid. Like this is a guy and look, this is a wholesome show. This is a family show. And so anything that might look untoward is going to be taken very seriously. And that's pretty much all we can tell you is something seems like something bad happened, but we don't know exactly what it was. We know police were involved, but we know he wasn't charged.
00:04:42
Speaker 1: But it's not the police and it's not the airline saying that anything bad happened. It's not Sony Pictures either, Robes, which owns Wheel of Fortune. They're not saying something bad happened. They said they are investigating what happened, but what they know so far has prompted them for a suspension. Robes, I... I don't know what they could have heard that rose to a level that we need to check this out.
00:05:09
Speaker 3: It seems like someone very soon is going to get their hands on this incident or this police report.
00:05:16
Speaker 2: Because here's what.
00:05:17
Speaker 3: Sony Pictures put out as their official statement in regards to this matter. We have recently been made aware of allegations concerning Jim Thornton.
00:05:31
Speaker 2: He had recently, he had been suspended.
00:05:33
Speaker 3: From Wheel of Fortune, and we are recasting while we conduct a thorough investigation.
00:05:39
Speaker 2: Recasting. That implies that, yes, he's been suspended, but they are filling his role.
00:05:45
Speaker 3: Like, he is no longer going to be the voice of Wheel of Fortune. I don't know how far in advance they tape these shows.
00:05:53
Speaker 1: Yeah, because he was on last night. His voice was heard last night. It'll be heard for how long, I don't know. If they have to make this move, that means they need somebody in place because some more taping is about to go on. I don't know how long. Because they do. They tape these in big chunks.
00:06:08
Speaker 3: Yep.
00:06:09
Speaker 2: And here's the deal.
00:06:09
Speaker 3: This is September 2nd. We're recording this. This was an incident that reportedly happened back in May. And we're just now learning about this. And apparently, Sony Pictures and Wheel of Fortune is just now.
00:06:22
Speaker 2: Hearing about this.
00:06:23
Speaker 1: That was my question there. I guess so, Robes. But why is it coming up? May, June, July, August, September? Why is it coming? Who decided to bring it to their attention?
00:06:32
Speaker 2: This is so bizarre.
00:06:34
Speaker 3: So TMZ is the one who broke the story, and it's their reporting on this incident on a.
00:06:39
Speaker 2: Flight in May.
00:06:40
Speaker 3: And what we know is that a fellow passenger complained about Thornton, but we don't know what that complaint was. We know that passenger took their complaint to the flight attendant, and the flight attendant took the complaint to the pilot.
00:06:57
Speaker 1: Robes what? What? That had to be... Robes, that's a threat of some kind.
00:07:04
Speaker 3: Or some sort of sexual harassment where someone felt like they were uncomfortable enough to bring attention to the matter, and it seemed to be significant enough that the pilot then alerted police. And law enforcement was called to LAX, where this plane was landing, to meet the plane to interrogate Jim Thornton.
00:07:27
Speaker 1: Robes, I don't know. Maybe as a company... That's serious enough, right? That's all I need to hear. Would you call him first and get his side? Maybe a captain of a commercial airline heard something about your behavior on a plane that caused him to call law enforcement. Okay, that sounds actually like a big deal.
00:07:45
Speaker 2: It sounds like a huge deal.
00:07:47
Speaker 3: And look, it seems like everyone on the plane, including the complainant, knew that Jim Thornton was affiliated with Wheel of Fortune, or at least.
00:07:57
Speaker 2: Thought he was, because....
00:08:00
Speaker 3: You'd think if he was actually apparently wearing a Wheel of Fortune jacket. If you're wearing your company logo, if we had ABC News jackets, which we had for certain types of stories.
00:08:11
Speaker 1: IHAR jackets.
00:08:12
Speaker 3: Let's stay current.
00:08:13
Speaker 2: Let's say we have IHAR jackets.
00:08:15
Speaker 3: I would think you're always and you should always obviously be on your best behavior. But especially if you're wearing your company's logo, you would then even be more aware that people would be looking at you and affiliating you with a certain show, a beloved show. Maybe even ask you, oh, my God, what do you do for Wheel of Fortune? It just seems like at that moment to choose to wear signage or logos of your own company that you would literally be on your best behavior.
00:08:43
Speaker 1: Yeah. We're not going to go to our weekend rave with iHeart gear on.
00:08:47
Speaker 3: No. Or like, look, I remember they used to give us those big Good Morning America umbrellas. And I remember a couple of times being so irritated because it was the only umbrella I had. And knowing that I'm walking around the streets of New York with this massive Good Morning America umbrella on, that's going to draw attention to you. So my point is, obviously, wearing that jacket would draw attention to him. So it's so interesting that he chose, if it's true, if these allegations are true, to behave in a certain way that would draw negative attention to him while wearing a Wheel of Fortune jacket.
00:09:19
Speaker 1: What if it was a miscommunication of some kind? What if she saw something on his computer or his phone that she took a certain way and thought it was wrong?
00:09:28
Speaker 2: It's all possible.
00:09:29
Speaker 1: Right? Maybe he did nothing to anyone other than alarm them by something he was just doing on his own. Maybe. I don't know.
00:09:38
Speaker 2: There are so many questions. What did he do? What did he say?
00:09:42
Speaker 3: What rose to the level that the pilot called police? And then why has there been this bizarre four-month delay in there being any action taken against him by Wheel of Fortune? Or have this become public in any way, shape, or form?
00:09:59
Speaker 1: Well, through his... attorney and through TMZ, there has been a response from Jim Thornton and Robes. This is, I mean, everything he points out, these are facts. Right.
00:10:09
Speaker 3: And if, look, we'll read his statement in a second. And well, maybe let's read the statement and then I have questions. So Jim Thornton, through his attorney, said this to TMZ. Jim Thornton 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. My question is, if all of that is true, why then would he be suspended?
00:10:50
Speaker 1: The public is supposed to accept that statement that Sony Pictures did not. Rose, that's cut and dry. I mean, so what are we talking about? What are we talking about, baby, that they heard that police only took them five minutes to clear up? What are we talking about?
00:11:08
Speaker 3: I don't know, but I know that you and I have been subjected to Employment issues because we were a distraction, even though no wrongdoing was found and they had to clearly say that we didn't violate anything regarding our contract. So is a distraction enough of a reason for them to suspend?
00:11:29
Speaker 1: The suspension is causing the distraction.
00:11:33
Speaker 2: Well, and we've argued.
00:11:34
Speaker 3: About this before. Like we've personally experienced this. Sometimes like it's just a weird knee jerk reaction. And the facts haven't actually been able to be parsed out yet.
00:11:45
Speaker 1: So he needs to be given a bunch of grace right now until we find out what's going on. And Rose, if that statement is true, he should be at work.
00:11:56
Speaker 3: Exactly.
00:11:57
Speaker 1: And if Sonny doesn't want him at work, it's a private whatever matter, but this is a beloved show. He has a beloved voice at this point. They might owe a little more... To explain why we've had to dump the guy y'all have been listening to for 15 years.
00:12:12
Speaker 3: Yes. Look, we don't know the facts, but just initially my reaction is.
00:12:18
Speaker 2: I'm a little thrown.
00:12:20
Speaker 3: Because to just cast aside somebody who has been a loyal member of your family, a beloved member of your family.
00:12:28
Speaker 1: Maybe they know something, baby.
00:12:29
Speaker 2: Exactly.
00:12:31
Speaker 3: Over an allegation that police did not.
00:12:35
Speaker 3: Take action on.
00:12:35
Speaker 1: See, that's just not an allegation of anything.
00:12:38
Speaker 3: Correct.
00:12:39
Speaker 1: A complaint? Robes, this is... And again, maybe we'll learn more, Sony, and this will all make sense later. But right now, if what this statement says is true, Robes here from his attorney, then I feel bad for him. All this is being talked about, assumptions that are being made. I feel bad for him. Because the suspension has now made it a news story of a different kind. But maybe they didn't want it to be a news story that their employee... gets accused of blank, blank, blank, blank, blank, and that's coming later.
00:13:14
Speaker 3: But yes, I mean, obviously it's going to come out. But the worst part is when you don't know, when you're ambiguous, when you just dance around whatever it is, people.
00:13:23
Speaker 2: Assume the worst. And maybe it is the worst, but.
00:13:25
Speaker 3: Maybe it's not. And that's what's a damn shame about the fact that people are now speculating what he could have done, what might have happened.
00:13:33
Speaker 1: That's tough. But you said the truth is going to come out. Maybe, what if it already has? What if this is it? Is that possible?
00:13:41
Speaker 2: It is.
00:13:42
Speaker 1: And they suspended him?
00:13:44
Speaker 2: We personally experienced this.
00:13:47
Speaker 3: Look, I think even if we hadn't gone through what we went through, I might also be assuming the worst and jumping on board with a lot of some of what people are expressing. But we know that this happens, that companies get scared and they overreact before all the facts are made to be known. That might not be the case, but I hold space that it could be the case.
00:14:08
Speaker 1: All right. Well, stay here. We did hear from American Airlines about this. You'll hear their statement. It's very, very short and will remind you just how big of a deal Wheel of Fortune is.
00:14:30
Speaker 2: Welcome back, everyone, to Amy and TJ.
00:14:32
Speaker 3: We are talking about a major headline rocking Wheel of Fortune and all the fans who love the show who are very aware of that booming voice at the beginning. He's been there since 2010. We're talking about Jim Thornton and he has been suspended over an ambiguous complaint that never actually required police involvement. They were involved, but they didn't follow through. They didn't charge him with anything. So we don't really know what this complaint was. We just know that there was some sort of allegation made about Jim Thornton while he was on an American Airlines flight in May of this year.
00:15:13
Speaker 1: I want to be fair here. A complaint. We don't know what an allegation. There is no allegation. It's not a letter that he did this or that or this or that. It's just a passenger said something to a flight attendant who said something to the captain. And whatever the captain heard was serious enough that he called ahead to have police meet his plane. That elevates things. But, Robes, when I hear the police talk to this man for less than five minutes and everybody went their own way, it sounds like it was cleared up. But now, Sony has suspended him.
00:15:46
Speaker 2: Sony has suspended him. He has responded.
00:15:50
Speaker 3: And if what he is saying is true, that there was nothing here to see. That's certainly confusing why Wheel of Fortune has made the decision it's made. But American Airlines also put out a statement and it reads, on May 14th, American Airlines flight 1276 was met by law enforcement upon arrival at Los Angeles International Airport following concerns reported by.
00:16:16
Speaker 2: A customer on board.
00:16:18
Speaker 3: What will be interesting is, can we get our hands, was there a police report? I imagine anytime police have to respond to something, they have to Create a report. Is that report, obviously, if it's findable, it will be found. And maybe that will provide some details? Surely.
00:16:35
Speaker 1: There's got to be a report that exists and should always exist after a captain calls police to meet his plane.
00:16:44
Speaker 2: Absolutely.
00:16:44
Speaker 1: It's got to be out there.
00:16:47
Speaker 3: And whoever this passenger is who made this complaint, are we going to hear from that person?
00:16:52
Speaker 2: Are they going to speak out? Are they going to weigh in? Especially if that.
00:16:57
Speaker 3: Person believes some wrong was done to them and they see this statement by Jim Thornton saying, I didn't do anything to anybody.
00:17:04
Speaker 2: This is all BS.
00:17:05
Speaker 3: That could piss someone off and say, actually, I'll tell you what did happen.
00:17:10
Speaker 2: So I do.
00:17:12
Speaker 3: Believe it seems likely that we will hear much more about this story.
00:17:16
Speaker 1: Also, that TM, Timsey had a picture of him on the plane?
00:17:19
Speaker 3: Yes.
00:17:19
Speaker 1: Is that what that was?
00:17:20
Speaker 3: Yes. And I don't know if it seemed like maybe the passenger took the picture because they wanted to know who this person was.
00:17:28
Speaker 2: And that's why I'm actually.
00:17:29
Speaker 3: Surprised it hasn't come out sooner with the way things are on social media. And it does look like there is a picture of him wearing a Wheel of Fortune jacket on a plane. We don't know if that is from the passenger who made the complaint, but it seems likely that it Like, what would be the chances that they would have a photo of him on a plane with the Wheel of Fortune jacket?
00:17:49
Speaker 1: And he's sitting, what, in the middle? What is that? I can't tell if there's an aisle. Or he's across the aisle, it appears, sitting in first class. And one person next to him is what it appears. This is a weird photo. And who is sitting across the way taking that picture? Who is... if you're across the aisle from him, why are you taking that photo? Why is that necessary?
00:18:08
Speaker 3: This is just, it's very strange. It's very strange. And I can't even explain that picture. It doesn't make a lot of sense. This story right now makes no sense.
00:18:19
Speaker 1: Um, but yes, they got to get this right road. It would take a lot to rock this show to the point that, uh, It would do much damage to it. But a reminder, the show is the one Pat Sajak holds a Guinness World Record for.
00:18:31
Speaker 3: Yeah.
00:18:32
Speaker 1: As the longest game show host. And he left it in 2024. But he had been with the show since 81. Vanna joined in 82. Wow. I think they did 40 whatever years together in syndication. It was really, really cool.
00:18:44
Speaker 3: And I didn't, you know, I always forget that the first host was Chuck Woolery. Yeah. who was like the man when it came to game shows. He was like a superhero host of game shows.
00:18:55
Speaker 1: Which one is he most closely aligned with?
00:18:56
Speaker 2: Chuck Worre.
00:18:57
Speaker 1: A dating show, wasn't it?
00:18:58
Speaker 2: I thought he was. Wait, there's so many.
00:19:01
Speaker 1: But he is a game show hosting legend, but most people don't associate him with that show because... Of course, Pat Sajak.
00:19:09
Speaker 3: Yes. Love Connection was his big one. Of course.
00:19:11
Speaker 2: Love Connection. Oh, my God. From 1983 to 1994. We'll be back in two and two.
00:19:17
Speaker 3: I used to love Love Connection.
00:19:19
Speaker 2: He also hosted Scrabble, Greed, Lingo, The Dating Game. He was everywhere. I actually got to go. It was only a one day. season show, Greed.
00:19:29
Speaker 3: But when I was with the Fox affiliate in DC, WTTG, Fox 5, they sent me out to LA to be a contestant on Greed, like a mock one.
00:19:38
Speaker 2: And I got to meet him and he was just as charming.
00:19:41
Speaker 3: You wouldn't because it was from 1999 to 2000. Were you still in school then, baby, when I was in my second job in my career?
00:19:48
Speaker 1: Sweetheart, my high school graduation. had just taken place.
00:19:51
Speaker 2: Not in 1999. Stop it.
00:19:54
Speaker 1: Stop it.
00:19:54
Speaker 2: I was already on my second job in D.C.
00:19:56
Speaker 3: But yeah, I did get to meet him, and he was just as charming and pleasant as you could imagine. But all those game show guys, whether you're the announcer or the host, they have a certain... grandfatherly or fatherly, trustworthy image. And I think that perhaps even an allegation or an insinuation that you aren't this family man, that somehow that's enough to suspend someone. Now, look, he hasn't officially been fired, but they knew damn well by announcing this suspension that this was going to wreak havoc on the show and on the headlines. So for them to take this step, they had to know There would be massive fallout, lots of questions, and a lot of people.
00:20:42
Speaker 2: Wanting to know more.
00:20:44
Speaker 1: Well, this is what we know for now. It ain't a lot, but that is it. This is one to watch. We're not sure how soon we might get updates about this story, but I can't imagine this being the end of it. But we appreciate you as always, folks. Stick with us. I'm TJ. That's Robes. We'll talk soon.