‘Wheel of Fortune’ announcer Jim Thornton’s lawyer shares new details on airline incident after suspension

“Wheel of Fortune” announcer Jim Thornton denied any allegations of wrongdoing in a statement from his lawyer after an alleged airline incident got him suspended from the game show.

Thornton’s lawyer told TMZ Wednesday that the host “did not engage in any illegal conduct, was not arrested, and has not been charged with any crime.”

The attorney continued, “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.”

As Page Six reported on Tuesday, the longtime host was put on suspension after an alleged incident was reported on an American Airlines flight on May 14. The flight was heading to Los Angeles International Airport.

Insiders told TMZ that Thornton, 61, was on a flight when a fellow passenger allegedly complained about him to a flight attendant.

Law enforcement officers were notified about the alleged incident and met Thornton at the gate upon arrival at his destination, per the outlet.

Officers then questioned the TV personality — who was wearing a “Wheel of Fortune” jacket at the time — but he was ultimately released.

American Airlines later confirmed to Page Six that an alleged incident was reported and officers were notified.

On Tuesday, a spokesperson for Sony told Page Six, “We have recently been made aware of allegations concerning Jim Thornton.”

“He has been suspended from ‘Wheel of Fortune,’ and we are recasting while we conduct a thorough investigation.”

Thornton first joined “Wheel of Fortune” in 2011 after the death of former announcer Charlie O’Donnell.

He also worked alongside former “WOF” host Pat Sajak up until the latter retired from the show after more than four decades in 2024.

Prior to “WOF,” Thornton briefly appeared on “The Soup,” “The Price Is Right” and “Celebrity Deathmatch.”