The award-winning DC-based anchor who went viral on Thanksgiving for a cringeworthy news segment finally revealed this week he was boozed up on air – and didn’t even realize how shaky he was.
Now-former NBC4 Washington journalist Leon Harris addressed the uncomfortable moment in which he struggled mightily while delivering the news, including stumbling over words and awkward hesitations.
He said he had a couple of glasses of wine with dinner within four hours between shows, but that was enough to push him off kilter.
“I ended drinking in between shows and then went on the air and I was more affected than I thought I was, even at the time I felt I was perfectly fine,” he told former CNN co-anchor Daryn Kagan in her new YouTube show, “Call Me Friend.”
“I ended up getting pulled off the air. People were calling, they were thinking that I was having a stroke. It was the most embarrassing thing that has ever happened to me.”
“My body has changed and I can’t drink anymore,” added Harris, who had faced past drinking problems. “And I didn’t realize it.”
Harris said his boss had to come into the station on the Thanksgiving holiday and instructed him to get in an Uber to go home.
He took a leave of absence following the broadcast — a video of which quickly spread across social media — and last month jointly announced with NBC4 Washington that he was leaving the station for good.
“I kind of knew it was coming, but the station just felt it was too much of a negative event, it was too well-publicized that they didn’t feel comfortable in bringing me back,” Harris told Kagan. “Even though I left, I went immediately into rehab.”
When he announced his permanent departure, he said it was a “difficult decision” but that he had to focus on his health after 40 years of non-stop work. At the time, he didn’t provide more details.
Harris previously worked at CNN with Kagan, the interviewer, and other local DC stations. The talented broadcaster covered a myriad of historic news events, including the Oklahoma City bombing, the OJ Simpson trial and the 9/11 terror attacks.
He also won numerous local Emmy awards.
The journalist said it was gut-wrenching when he first viewed viral footage of his “career-altering” screw-up.
“It was like ‘oh my god,’ I had no idea that I was that far gone,” he said. “And it was clear and it was obvious.”
Harris previously spoke about his struggle with alcohol in March 2022 after he ran into trouble for crashing into another car while driving under the influence.
“I’ve had a battle with alcoholism,” he said this week. “I did not really fully appreciate that.”
The broadcast journalist said he still gets phone calls from concerned friends who only recently saw the shocking video, but he reassured them he’s in better shape now.
He said he hasn’t thought of having a drink since Dec. 14, 2024, after getting crucial help, but might always be reminded of the difficult moment.
“And knowing that it’s on the internet and still alive is something that I’ll never be able to live down,” Harris said.
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