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Memphis Anchor Falls Asleep Live, Blames Sleep Loss From Teething Infant

Fox13 defended Dominique Dillon and framed the viral clip as a moment that highlights the strain of pre-dawn news shifts on working parents.

Overview

  • A viewer-captured clip showed Good Morning Memphis anchor Dominique Dillon briefly dozing during a live segment, a moment that went viral and drew national attention.
  • Dillon told TODAY she had only a few hours of sleep after caring for her teething 8-month-old while her husband worked a double shift, and she said she was 'mortified' after realizing she had nodded off.
  • Her meteorologist coworker Brittani DuBose whispered Dillon’s name to wake her, and producers initially thought Dillon was looking down at a tablet rather than asleep.
  • Fox13 issued a public statement defending Dillon and colleagues posted lighthearted support, and viewers largely responded with sympathy and messages urging grace for working parents.
  • The episode has shifted coverage away from punishment toward a broader discussion of how early-morning news schedules, recent return from maternity leave, and child care demands create chronic sleep loss for parent journalists.