'Wheel of Fortune' Scandal Takes New Turn as Alleged Witness Says FBI Hasn't Contacted Her — 'Radio Silent'
Thornton’s attorney says he opened a misleading link and left the site.
Oct. 26 2026, Published 4:24 p.m. ET
The woman who reported former "Wheel of Fortune" announcer Jim Thornton after allegedly seeing disturbing messages on his laptop during a commercial flight says she still has not been contacted by the FBI, according to TMZ.
Sources close to the woman told the outlet the LAPD said her information would be forwarded to federal authorities, but she has not heard from the bureau.
The incident happened May 14 aboard American Airlines Flight 1276 from Charlotte, North Carolina, to Los Angeles.
American Airlines confirmed that law enforcement met the flight at Los Angeles International Airport after a customer raised concerns, though the airline did not identify Thornton.
No criminal charges have been announced against Thornton. The FBI has declined to confirm or deny whether an investigation exists, saying the agency does not comment on the existence of investigations.
Passenger Photographed Laptop Screen
She gave a statement to LAPD after the plane landed at LAX.
According to TMZ, the passenger photographed Thornton's laptop after seeing chatroom messages that appeared to reference children.
The images reportedly included phrases such as "cute boys" and "a hot little girl," along with a reference to "CP," which the passenger believed meant child pornography.
The timestamps visible in the photographs appeared to show activity on the site for at least 57 minutes. The passenger eventually alerted a flight attendant and shared the images with the crew.
The pilot then contacted authorities, and law enforcement questioned Thornton after the plane landed. He was released and was not arrested or charged.
LAPD Questioned Thornton After Landing
The passenger photographed messages displayed on Thornton’s laptop screen.
The latest development centers on what happened after that questioning. Sources close to the passenger told TMZ that an LAPD officer took her statement and told her the information would be forwarded to the FBI.
According to those sources, the promised federal follow-up never came. The FBI has not publicly confirmed that it opened a case involving Thornton.
Thornton’s Attorney Denies Wrongdoing
The flight captain contacted authorities after the passenger alerted crew.
Thornton has denied wrongdoing through his attorney, Allison Hart.
She said he accidentally accessed Lifeline.chat after an acquaintance involved in suicide-prevention advocacy directed him to what he believed was a legitimate support forum.
Hart has maintained that Thornton left the site once he understood its nature and said he never viewed, downloaded, or consumed child pornography.
She also said he was not arrested or charged and that law enforcement determined no crime had occurred.
The explanation conflicts with the passenger's interpretation of what she saw and with the timestamps in the photographs, which reportedly indicated Thornton remained on the site for nearly an hour.
Sony Ended Thornton's 'Wheel of Fortune' Tenure
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Officers questioned Thornton briefly; he was released without charges.
Sony Pictures Television initially suspended Thornton on Sept. 1 and said it was recasting his role while conducting a thorough investigation. Three days later, the company confirmed that his employment was terminated effective immediately.
Thornton had served as the show's announcer since 2011, making his tenure roughly 15 years.
For now, the FBI's public position remains unchanged, while the passenger's account and Thornton's defense offer competing descriptions of what happened aboard the May flight.
