Former NBC4 Anchor Leon Harris Admits Intoxication During Viral Broadcast, Leaves Station

Former NBC4 Washington anchor Leon Harris has publicly admitted that he was intoxicated during a widely viewed Thanksgiving broadcast where he struggled to deliver the news, leading to public concern and calls thinking he might be having a medical emergency. Harris revealed on the Call Me Friend podcast that he had consumed a couple of glasses of wine between shows and went on air feeling more impaired than he realized, despite believing he was fine at the time. The incident resulted in Harris being pulled off the air, and he eventually took a leave of absence before jointly announcing his departure from NBC4 to focus on his health and family. Harris acknowledged his past struggles with alcoholism and revealed that he entered rehab immediately after leaving the station. He described the event as the most embarrassing of his career and noted that the viral footage will remain part of his legacy. Harris emphasized that his body has changed, preventing him from drinking now, and that the station decided not to bring him back due to the negative publicity surrounding the incident.