The Biggest Wheel Of Fortune Scandals Over The Years

The following article mentions murder, sexual assault, and a pedophile chat room.

The internet was set ablaze in September 2026 when TMZ published photos of longtime "Wheel of Fortune" announcer Jim Thornton participating in a disturbing chat room while on an airplane. Though this is the biggest scandal "Wheel of Fortune" has ever weathered, it is certainly not the first. While the game show is not known for being controversial, a number of situations have put production in the hot seat over the years. Many have to do with fan response to bad calls during gameplay, but there have also been some other scandals.

"Wheel of Fortune" made its debut in 1975, but it was quite different back then. It aired during the day, for example, and contestants had to spend their earned money in showrooms during shopping rounds. The iconic Pat Sajak was in place as host by 1981, and Vanna White joined him to turn letters and engage in cute banter the year after that. Sajak left the show in June 2024, but "Wheel of Fortune" remains a weeknight television staple (and White is still there, alongside Sajak's successor Ryan Seacrest). While the cultural impact of "Wheel of Fortune" cannot be overstated, it has faced some scandals in recent decades, especially in the age of social media. Here is a deeper look into the biggest controversies of "Wheel of Fortune."

In 1993, a call was made during an episode of "Wheel of Fortune" that angered fans so much that it has been given its own name. The Buttinsky Incident, as it is known, stems from the pronunciation of the word "buttinsky," a slang term for someone who frequently butts into other people's business. It speaks to the broader frustration with the Slang category, which was introduced to the show in 1992 but retired in 1995. Suffice it to say, it was not a fan favorite category.

The puzzle clue itself was difficult, and some have even labeled it the hardest ever on "Wheel of Fortune." It took the three contestants more than three minutes to solve it, and things got so awkward that the studio audience could be heard laughing nervously. Multiple contestants guessed the word but pronounced it as "butt in sky." Eventually, the third person ran through a long list of variations and was declared the winner when one came close enough for host Pat Sajak's liking. Many fans felt that the first person who said the word, but mispronounced it, should have won, considering the obscurity of the term. It is shocking that a nine-letter word could cause such an uproar, but people still reference it three decades later.

The most notable instance of a dangerous person appearing on a game show has to be the 1978 "The Dating Game" episode featuring serial killer Rodney Alcala. Academy Award nominee Anna Kendrick even made a movie about the killer, who is suspected of murdering up to 100 women and girls. Compared to this, the criminal scandal of "Wheel of Fortune" seems minimal, but it is certainly important. After all, the 1998 episode featuring Matthew Fenwick directly helped put him in prison.

The episode in question aired on March 18, 1998. Fenwick introduced himself as a church-going student from Kansas City, who was working toward a doctoral degree in piano. While he was not the big winner, Fenwick walked away with a cool $4,400. He also became a national news story, as it was uncovered that he had outstanding warrants dating back to November 1997. Fenwick had been accused of molesting two girls, aged 8 and 10, but police had not been able to find him up until the episode aired. Fatefully, one of his victims saw him on television and was able to identify him as her attacker. Her mother then tipped off the authorities, who wasted no time tracking Fenwick down.

Fenwick was arrested only two days after the episode aired on TV, in Olathe, Kansas. He was charged with two felony counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a child. He spent six years in jail before receiving a conditional release in 2004.

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).

Many fans are unaware that "Wheel of Fortune" and "Jeopardy!" share more than being two of the most iconic game shows of all time. Merv Griffin created both programs, and Sony Pictures Television produces them, which means multiple people work behind the scenes on the two shows. Take Mike Richards, who gained national attention in 2021 when he succeeded Alex Trebek as the new host of "Jeopardy!". Richards was an executive producer on both shows. So when scandal erupted, "Wheel of Fortune" got caught in the crosshairs of the mess of "Jeopardy!"

Only nine days after he was named the show's permanent host, Richards was pressured to resign after inappropriate comments from his past resurfaced. The Ringer published a detailed article about past lawsuits and the many sexist and derogatory comments Richards made while hosting the podcast "The Randumb Show" eight years prior. The Anti-Defamation League immediately called for his removal, citing his history of disparaging remarks about women, Jews, and Asians.

"Looking back now, there is no excuse, of course, for the comments I made on this podcast and I am deeply sorry," Richards said to People. Though he was quickly removed as "Jeopardy!" host, Sony originally intended to keep Richards on as EP of both "Jeopardy!" and "Wheel of Fortune." Due to low employee morale and massive public backlash, however, Richards was fired from both shows roughly a week later.

A 2023 salary scandal revealed that "Wheel of Fortune" was lagging well behind some of its more advanced peers when it came to compensation, at least for Vanna White. Reports at the time illuminated how host Pat Sajak had received many raises over the years, working his way up to a whopping $15 million-a-year salary. Meanwhile, White had not received a single raise in 18 years, despite being a bona fide television icon.

When it came time to renegotiate her expiring contract, the beloved personality — who was making $3 million a year — asked for half of what Sajak was getting. And sure, her job is significantly easier — and White was already living lavishly — but we have to think that a large part of the high ask was to make up for nearly two decades of pay stagnation. "50 percent of Pat's salary is so outrageous that no one in their right mind could say that it's fair," an unnamed source told People. "The negotiation is asking for much more than 50 percent of his salary. It's asking for the same pay — if not more," they went on to claim (though no other reports confirm this statement).

Supporters noted that White and Sajak were introduced as the "stars" of the show, and that the pay discrepancy had grown alarmingly large. Shortly after the story broke, White signed a two-year contract extension with a significant pay bump, although the exact numbers were kept private.

While many "Wheel of Fortune" scandals become hot topics among viewers, only a few turn into national news. But when a 2024 contestant was denied a $40,000 prize during the bonus round, the controversy became a widespread news story and not just a social media conversation. It was discussed on shows such as "Good Morning America," where contestant Megan Carvale appeared for an interview amid the episode's fan backlash.

As the winner of the regular games, Carvale was entitled to participate in the bonus round during her January 30, 2024 episode. She chose her five letters — four consonants and a vowel — to be revealed alongside the standard "RSTLNE" contestants are always offered. After her chosen letters were revealed, she was left with "P_N_ _RC__D" on the board, in her chosen category of Living Things. As is customary, Carvale was then given 10 seconds to solve the puzzle. She muttered phrases such as "something orchid" and "pony orchid," but Sajak apparently did not hear her say the correct response: "pink orchid." Social media quickly erupted because many fans claim to have heard "pink orchid" at the beginning of Carvale's time.

The honorable contestant cleared things up on GMA two days later. "You know, I wish I said 'pink' because I would have been $40,000 richer," Carvale said. "But I said 'something.'" Some fans remained adamant they heard the correct response, even after Carvale confirmed what she said.

Ryan Seacrest has developed many useful skills over his long hosting career, which made him a natural fit to take over "Wheel of Fortune" upon Pat Sajak's retirement. The transition was rather seamless, and Seacrest was immediately met with support from fans. There have been occasional hurdles, however. One of these occurred in 2024, when Seacrest stopped the show to get feedback from producers about a buzzer issue. The final call ultimately cost one contestant $2,000, which many viewers felt was unfair.

The situation occurred on the December 5 episode, during one of the triple-toss-up puzzles. During the third Food and Drink puzzle, contestant Clint Ingalls buzzed in and guessed "Well-Seasoned Meal" (via TV Insider). A second contestant, Adriane Rushing, only got "Well..." out before her time was up. The final contestant, Jenn Walker, then had her shot. "Well-Balanced Meal," she exclaimed — which was the correct answer. To viewers' chagrin, rather than accept the response, Seacrest cut Walker off and yelled "Buzzer!" before halting the game. "Can we get the judges on that?" the host asked producers.

"No sorry, you gotta buzz in," Seacrest then declared. "'Well-Balanced Meal' was the correct answer but you gotta use the little device." Walker was ultimately denied the prize, even though there was no actual need for her to buzz since she was the only contestant left who could answer. The studio audience collectively gasped at one point, which is a pretty clear indication that production took the wrong route by throwing out the puzzle.

If you think fans always side with contestants against producers who deny them prize money, one 2026 controversy illustrates that this is not the case. In this particular instance, the show's fans were the ones who wanted to deny a "Wheel of Fortune" contestant her bonus prize of $50,000. With how mad some people on the internet were, you would think that Caroline Smith murdered a puppy or something. But really, all she did was take a prize that she was awarded by "Wheel of Fortune" producers. Though winning a prize has no effect on a viewer beyond temporary entertainment satisfaction, the notion of fairness trumped many fans' desire to see another human come into some easy dough. The internet was set ablaze.

By the official record, Smith correctly guessed "Faux-Fur Parka," the answer to her "What Are You Wearing?" bonus-round puzzle. Ryan Seacrest accepted the response and revealed the prize amount, after which Smith celebrated. Viewers, however, quickly called bull. They claimed that Smith was awarded for a similar but ultimately incorrect response. "I watched it several times, telling myself she was about to say 'full' and that's what I heard, then telling myself she was about to say 'faux' and my brain immediately said 'no,'" wrote one person on Reddit (via Reader's Digest).

Viewers remain torn, but producers did not backtrack. Smith left the show with $70,850 in winnings once the bonus money was added to her existing total.

Perhaps the biggest scandal "Wheel of Fortune" has ever faced is its most recent one, wherein announcer Jim Thornton's conduct on a flight resulted in widespread outrage and his eventual firing. Thornton, who began his tenure on the show in 2011, created a stain that could only be removed by his termination, thanks to his documented involvement in a chat room for pedophiles. "We have recently been made aware of allegations concerning Jim Thornton," Sony Pictures wrote in a statement after the story broke (via People). "He has been suspended from 'Wheel of Fortune' and we are recasting while we conduct a thorough investigation."

The originating incident occurred months before TMZ published damning photos in September 2026, during a May flight from Charlotte to Los Angeles. A fellow passenger snapped the pics after noticing the disturbing nature of the chat room, after which she alerted the flight crew. Thornton was confronted by police officers upon deboarding, but he was not arrested. Though the photos — which show Thornton in his airplane seat as well as close-ups of the chat room text on his screen — make it very clear as to the purpose of the chat, his lawyer claimed he got there by accident after being forwarded a link by someone in a suicidal ideation chat room. Not only were the two chat rooms completely unaffiliated, but Thornton also spent a reported 57 minutes in the disturbing chat. Three days after his initial suspension, Thornton was fired from "Wheel of Fortune."