FOX13 Memphis anchor Dominique Dillon appeared to briefly fall asleep during a live newscast, a moment captured in a viral video that garnered significant social media attention. The footage, which was first highlighted by the industry blog FTVLive, shows Dillon with her eyes closed and her head resting in her hands as the camera remained on her.
While some social media users criticized the anchor, many others rushed to her defense, citing her recent childbirth and the demanding nature of early morning television coupled with childcare responsibilities for her two young children. "She has two small children. Show her some grace!" one commenter wrote, with another adding, "That new mom tired hits WAY different!!"
Others pointed blame towards the production crew, suggesting that someone should have alerted Dillon before the camera returned to her. "The producer and directors wrong for taking the boxes knowing she wasnt ready," one viewer commented. Another stated, "They should have never taken that shot! Number one rule as a producer! Protect the talent!"
Fellow television journalists also weighed in, with several noting that nodding off during challenging broadcast schedules is not uncommon. "As a news anchor, I’ve fallen asleep before during commercial breaks too… But I don’t think it ever made the air," one broadcaster shared. Another commented on the difficulty of early morning shifts: "Those morning shifts are so challenging."
Dillon was promoted earlier this month to anchor FOX13 Memphis’ Saturday and Sunday newscasts, while also continuing her reporting duties for "Good Morning Memphis" during the week. She joined the Memphis station in 2019, having previously worked as a reporter for KTAL in Texarkana.
It remains unclear whether Dillon was actually asleep or simply resting her eyes during the brief on-air instance. Neither Dillon nor FOX13 Memphis have immediately responded to requests for comment.