David Thornton (actor)

David Thornton
Thornton in 2009
Born	David Farrington Thornton[1] May 4, 1953 (age 72) Cheraw, South Carolina, U.S.
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1983–present
Spouse	Cyndi Lauper ​ (m. 1991)​
Children	1

David Farrington Thornton (born May 4, 1953) is an American actor. He has appeared in John Q, Home Alone 3 as Earl Unger, Law & Order, The Notebook, and The Other Woman, among other roles. He is the husband of singer, songwriter and actress Cyndi Lauper.^[2]

Thornton was born in Cheraw, South Carolina. He is the son of professor Robert Donald Thornton (1917–2006),^[3][4] who taught English at Harvard University among other institutions, and Grace Ellen (née Baker; 1919–2019).^{[5][6][1][7][8]} He graduated from Hamilton College and Yale Drama School and studied at Lee Strasberg's Actors Studio.^[2]

Thornton met singer Cyndi Lauper on the set of the film Off and Running.^[2] They married in November 1991 and have a son, Declyn Wallace Lauper Thornton (born November 19, 1997).^[9]

In 2005, the New York Court of Appeals ruled in favor of Thornton in Thornton v. Baron, which is considered a landmark decision in the New York real estate industry, specifically dealing with rent stabilization in New York.^[10]

In July 2022, Declyn was arrested for driving a stolen car.^[11] In October 2022, Declyn accepted a plea deal which saw him only get no prison, only five days of private community, but also a requirement to stay out of trouble for a year.^[12] In February 2024, Declyn was arrested and charged with criminal possession of a controlled firearm and criminal possession of a controlled substance.^[13][14] However, he would not be charged for a shooting which took place at the location where he was arrested.^[13][14] In March 2026, Declyn avoided prison time agreeing to plead guilty to a criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree charge-a Class E non-violent felony and a lesser charge than the original criminal possession of a weapon charge, a Class C violent felony — and was sentenced to one year of probation, required substance abuse treatment, and being also required to remain arrest-free for one year.^[15] However, the plea will not become official until Declyn's completion of the program, during which he can also receive a three-year conditional discharge.^[15]

In February 2025, Declyn filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in the midst of a sexual assault lawsuit from March 2024 which alleged that he pressured "an unidentified woman to [perform a sex act] at his SoHo home on Nov. 9, 2020."^[16] In March 2026, a new lawsuit regarding Declyn's alleged 2020 sexual assault was filed, this time naming Thornton as the defendant.^[17][18] Thornton was accused of having “enabled” the alleged incident “because he leased the penthouse" where the alleged sexual assault took place and “failed to take any action to supervise, restrict, or prevent his son from using the premises to perpetrate sexual violence” while knowing of the alleged “prior sexual violence against women and prior settlements of claims for similar conduct” regarding Declyn.^[17][18] The lawsuit noted that another woman, Declyn's previous girlfriend Brittney Taylor, had alleged in 2018 that he “was physically and verbally abusive during their romantic relationship."^[17] In March 2026, a woman who accused his son Declyn of sexually assaulting her at the New York City family penthouse in 2020 after she had “refused to perform oral sex on him” filed a lawsuit against Thornton. Despite only accusing Declyn of sexual assault, and also “violent and sexually abusive propensities,” the lawsuit would nevertheless not include Declyn as a co-defendant, claiming that Thornton “enabled” the alleged incident “because he leased the penthouse” and “failed to take any action to supervise, restrict, or prevent his son from using the premises to perpetrate sexual violence” while knowing of the alleged "prior sexual violence against women and prior settlements of claims for similar conduct” of his son.^[17][18] The lawsuit noted that one of Declyn's previous girlfriends, Brittney Taylor, had alleged in 2018 that Declyn “was physically and verbally abusive during their romantic relationship."^[17]

• David Thornton at IMDb