Tired Mom Nods Off on Air, Gets Support, Not Scorn

Live TV gaffes don't usually end with a Today show invitation, but Memphis anchor Dominique Dillon's five-second on-air nap did. The 32-year-old Fox 13 morning host briefly nodded off during a July 29 newscast, then snapped awake to a teasing remark from her co-anchor and the dawning realization that the moment had been captured on camera—and was already spreading online, reports the Washington Post. (Watch the moment here.) A producer quickly informed her she was going viral, and Dillon braced for the worst from viewers and her brand-new interim news director.

"Mortified," she said on the Today show, recounting her state of mind at the time. "I was pinching myself under the desk like, 'This has to be a nightmare.' Like one of those work nightmares, because this is not my life right now." It was indeed real, though instead of the universal ridicule she expected, the 32-year-old received concern from her boss and a wave of empathy from strangers. Dillon, mother to an 8-month-old and a 2-year-old who works a 3:30am to noon shift, explained that a sleepless night with teething baby Delilah had caught up with her. Commenters rushed to her defense, urging grace for a working mom and sharing their own exhaustion. Fox 13 publicly backed her, saying they were proud that her story highlighted how hard it can be for new mothers returning to work.