‘Wheel of Fortune’ Jim Thornton
Facebook Account Goes Dark After ‘Wheel’ Axing
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Jim Thornton‘s Facebook account has gone dark hours after he was fired from “Wheel of Fortune” … and TMZ has learned the former announcer has also been scrubbed from the game show’s social media channels.
Thornton’s Facebook page was no longer publicly accessible Friday evening. It was active earlier in the day and featured behind-the-scenes photos and videos of Jim on the popular game show set.
The page also included photos of Jim making school appearances, along with more personal shots of his wife and son.
We’ve also learned Jim’s name and photos have been removed from “Wheel of Fortune” social accounts following Sony Pictures Television Studios’ decision to boot him from the show amid the disturbing allegations.
As we first reported … Sony launched an investigation after recently becoming aware of an incident involving Thornton on an American Airlines flight in May. A passenger seated near him became concerned after seeing messages referencing “cute boys” and a “hot little girl” … and alerted a flight attendant.
The photos, obtained by TMZ, show Thornton using the handle “NicholasB77” on a site his lawyer claimed he mistakenly accessed while trying to visit 988lifeline.org, where he allegedly helped people in need.
However, the photos show Thornton remained in the chat for nearly an hour and allegedly discussed hiding the site’s name from people sitting nearby. He also referenced another website and said he planned to look at its galleries.
Moments later, photos show Thornton on his phone reading what appears to be the results of a Google A.I. search after the flight attendant allegedly forced him to close his laptop. The passenger tells TMZ Thornton appeared nervous after the confrontation.
As we reported … the flight attendant alerted the captain, who asked law enforcement to meet Thornton at LAX. He was questioned but not arrested or charged.
Thornton’s attorney has said it was not unlawful to be in the chat and that no child pornography was shared.
