Sony Pictures Television Studios terminated Jim Thornton from "Wheel of Fortune" effective immediately after what the company called a thorough investigation, ending a 15-year run that began when Thornton replaced the show's iconic original announcer. A Sony spokesperson confirmed the firing on Friday, offering a one-sentence statement that left the nature of the underlying allegations […] The post Sony fires 'Wheel of Fortune' announcer Jim Thornton after completing investigation appeared first on American Almanac .
Sony Pictures Television Studios terminated Jim Thornton from "Wheel of Fortune" effective immediately after what the company called a thorough investigation, ending a 15-year run that began when Thornton replaced the show's iconic original announcer. A Sony spokesperson confirmed the firing on Friday, offering a one-sentence statement that left the nature of the underlying allegations unspecified. Thornton, 61, had already been suspended from the long-running game show on September 1, when Sony first acknowledged it had "recently been made aware of allegations" against him. The company began recasting the announcer role at that point and launched its internal review. The termination caps a rapid sequence of events that traces back to a…Open
A death certificate reveals that former Nickelodeon star Christy Knowings died of cardiac arrest following a severe asthma attack, she was just 46 years old. Knowings, the New York City-born actress who spent three seasons on the children's sketch comedy hit "All That," was hospitalized on Aug. 7 after suffering an asthma attack. A relative […] The post Christy Knowings, beloved 'All That' cast member, died of cardiac arrest at 46 appeared first on American Almanac .
A death certificate reveals that former Nickelodeon star Christy Knowings died of cardiac arrest following a severe asthma attack, she was just 46 years old. Knowings, the New York City-born actress who spent three seasons on the children's sketch comedy hit "All That," was hospitalized on Aug. 7 after suffering an asthma attack. A relative told TMZ she was placed on life support. Four days later, on Aug. 11, she died. The death certificate, obtained by People on Sept. 2, listed cardiac arrest as the cause of death. Acute hypoxic respiratory failure, a condition in which the lungs cannot deliver enough oxygen to the blood, and status asthmaticus, a prolonged and severe asthma episode, were listed as contributing conditions. From…Open
Sony Pictures Television Studios terminated longtime Wheel of Fortune announcer Jim Thornton after an investigation into his alleged use of a pedophilia-related chatroom aboard a commercial flight, a firing his attorney contests, insisting he committed no crime. Thornton's dismissal came with a terse, five-word kicker from the studio: "effective immediately." A Sony spokesperson confirmed the […] The post Sony fires 'Wheel of Fortune' announcer Jim Thornton after in-flight pedophilia chatroom incident appeared first on American Almanac .
Sony Pictures Television Studios terminated longtime Wheel of Fortune announcer Jim Thornton after an investigation into his alleged use of a pedophilia-related chatroom aboard a commercial flight, a firing his attorney contests, insisting he committed no crime. Thornton's dismissal came with a terse, five-word kicker from the studio: "effective immediately." A Sony spokesperson confirmed the decision to Page Six , saying it followed "a thorough investigation" but offering no further detail about what that investigation uncovered or how long it lasted. The firing caps a rapid unraveling that began on a May 14 American Airlines flight and accelerated over a single week in September, leaving one of daytime television's most familiar voices…Open
The longtime "Wheel of Fortune" announcer's attorney fired back at TMZ's reporting on an in-flight incident, saying law enforcement cleared Jim Thornton in minutes, but Sony suspended him anyway. Thornton's lawyer sent a letter to TMZ denouncing its September 1 report as "defamatory" and denying that the veteran announcer engaged in any criminal conduct aboard […] The post Jim Thornton's lawyer calls TMZ report on 'Wheel of Fortune' suspension 'defamatory,' says announcer committed no crime appeared first on American Almanac .
The longtime "Wheel of Fortune" announcer's attorney fired back at TMZ's reporting on an in-flight incident, saying law enforcement cleared Jim Thornton in minutes, but Sony suspended him anyway. Thornton's lawyer sent a letter to TMZ denouncing its September 1 report as "defamatory" and denying that the veteran announcer engaged in any criminal conduct aboard an American Airlines flight last May. USA TODAY obtained the letter on September 2, one day after Sony Pictures Television confirmed it had suspended Thornton and begun recasting his role while conducting what it called a "thorough investigation." The sequence raises a pointed question: if law enforcement found nothing wrong in under five minutes, what exactly is Sony…Open
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez told a TMZ interviewer on Capitol Hill that she would "probably not" date a conservative, a declaration that lands weeks after her split from longtime partner Riley Roberts and amid growing speculation about a 2028 presidential bid. TMZ's Charlie Cotton caught up with the 36-year-old New York Democrat on Capitol Hill on […] The post Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez says she would 'probably not' date a conservative appeared first on American Almanac .
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez told a TMZ interviewer on Capitol Hill that she would "probably not" date a conservative, a declaration that lands weeks after her split from longtime partner Riley Roberts and amid growing speculation about a 2028 presidential bid. TMZ's Charlie Cotton caught up with the 36-year-old New York Democrat on Capitol Hill on Tuesday and asked whether she would consider dating across the political aisle. Ocasio-Cortez did not hesitate long. "I have to say it's probably not. No, you know, it's not to, you know, no foul to people who do," she told TMZ . She then tied the preference directly to her political identity. "I think a lot of politics sometimes, at least for me, is about values, and being aligned in values…Open
Sony Pictures Television has suspended longtime "Wheel of Fortune" announcer Jim Thornton and begun recasting his role after allegations tied to an incident on a commercial flight, though Thornton's lawyer says law enforcement cleared him in minutes. The studio confirmed the move on September 1, 2026, issuing a brief statement that disclosed almost nothing about […] The post Jim Thornton suspended from 'Wheel of Fortune' over airline flight allegations appeared first on American Almanac .
Sony Pictures Television has suspended longtime "Wheel of Fortune" announcer Jim Thornton and begun recasting his role after allegations tied to an incident on a commercial flight, though Thornton's lawyer says law enforcement cleared him in minutes. The studio confirmed the move on September 1, 2026, issuing a brief statement that disclosed almost nothing about what Thornton allegedly did. USA TODAY reported that Sony called the investigation "thorough" but offered no timeline and no details about the nature of the complaint. The gap between what Sony has said publicly and what Thornton's own attorney has put on the record is worth examining. One side is treating this as serious enough to pull a 15-year fixture off the air. The other…Open
Lionel Richie checked into a St. Louis ICU after his Saturday night concert, the latest in a string of health scares that have shadowed the 77-year-old singer's summer tour with Earth, Wind & Fire. Richie performed at the St. Louis Municipal Opera Theatre on Aug. 29, but concertgoers noticed something was wrong before the final […] The post Lionel Richie, 77, hospitalized after St. Louis concert as health concerns mount on summer tour appeared first on American Almanac .
Lionel Richie checked into a St. Louis ICU after his Saturday night concert, the latest in a string of health scares that have shadowed the 77-year-old singer's summer tour with Earth, Wind & Fire. Richie performed at the St. Louis Municipal Opera Theatre on Aug. 29, but concertgoers noticed something was wrong before the final notes faded. Witnesses told TMZ that the former Commodores frontman appeared to struggle near the end of the show, asking for a chair so he could sit down while performing his closing number, "All Night Long (All Night)," the hit 1983 track. Social media videos showed Richie wearing a red leather jacket over an all-black outfit, seated center stage for the finale. A concert review from The St. Louis American noted…Open
After a fall from grace in early 2017, Yiannapoulos made headlines intermittently, including for a brief stint in which he interned for now former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga.
Country music legend Dolly Parton has died at 80, following recent health struggles that led to the cancellation of her Las Vegas residency. The singer, known for hits including "Jolene" and "9 to 5," died, her family confirmed Tuesday on X. Parton has sold more than 100 million records worldwide and leaves behind an indelible mark on the music industry. "I have imagined the heaviness of this moment, but haven't truly felt it until now," Dolly's nephew Bryan Seaver said in the video post. "Dolly has lived the light and is in the arms of Jesus, surely met by Carl, her parents, and countless others who have watched her and longed for her to meet them in the heavens." MORE: In May, the singer revealed that she had canceled her previously…
