NBC4 Washington anchor Leon Harris struggled to get his words out during the network’s Thanksgiving night broadcast — prompting concerns that he was having a medical episode or was under the influence.
The 63-year-old broadcast journalist — who joined NBC4 in Washington, D.C. in 2017 after more than 20 years as an anchor at CNN — slurred his words and spoke incoherently during the evening news, as seen in a clip posted on X.
Harris was reporting on a water main break near Washington, DC and the arrest of four individuals in connection with the vandalism of an American Israel Public Affairs Committee building.
Viewers were quick to take to social media with their concerns that the news anchor was suffering a medical emergency. Some social media users even speculated that Harris – who served a prison sentence in 2022 after driving under the influence, crashing a car and trying to flee the scene – was repeating himself.
NBC did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
After Harris delivered the shaky news, the network cut a weather segment during the 6 p.m. newscast, with no news from the announcer’s desk for at least 20 minutes, according to reporters who posted on X during the live broadcast. .
NBC4 meteorologist Ryan Miller told viewers the network had received “a lot” of concerns and calls from concerned fans.
“We want to assure you that our colleague Leon Harris is fine,” Miller said.
Lee Sanders, a podcaster and voice actor, called on NBC to “check” Harris in a post on X.
“Check your son! Pray he doesn’t relapse again or get addicted to that leg injury,” Sanders wrote Thursday night. “Pull it over and get help!”
Sanders said the newscast was cut off after 35 minutes, instead of the scheduled hour.
Chris Williamson, a sports broadcaster, called the Thanksgiving newscast “hard to watch” and said he hoped Harris was OK.
Harris served 10 days in jail in 2022 after he crashed into another car while driving under the influence and tried to flee the scene. He was removed from his anchor duties at NBC4 after his arrest and returned months later.
In March 2022, he told NBC4 viewers that it was “the dumbest decision I could have made” and that he was “deeply sorry and apologetic about it”.
During that broadcast, he said he was taking some time off to get professional help.
His NBC4 colleague Doreen Gentzler later interviewed him in July 2022 about his arrest.
“Yeah, in my condition, I could have killed somebody,” Harris said. “I was actually more damaged than I thought I was.”
Gentzler told Harris that many onlookers wondered why he tried to flee the scene after colliding with another driver.
“That was the alcohol and the disease,” Harris said. “All I could think about was getting home.”
The news anchor said he was doing “three hours of therapy” every morning during his time off to deal with his substance use problems.
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