Tom Brokaw Hurried to Hospital After Accidental Ambien
Tom Brokaw was taken to the hospital in Charlotte after his appearance on MSNBC's Morning Joe on Thursday, but MSNBC says the trip was just out of an "abundance of caution," after the former NBC Nightly News anchor felt light-headed. There's no information available yet on what, if anything, might be ailing the 72-year-old Brokaw, and the network is giving the same quote to outlets like TMZ as it first gave to TV Newser: "On the set of Morning Joe this morning, Tom Brokaw felt light-headed. Out of an abundance of caution, he was taken to a hospital and is being evaluated." We'll keep you posted as more information comes out.
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Update (10:07 a.m. EDT): Brokaw explains it all via twitter. Not sick, just accidentally drugged:
All is wellEarly AM I mistakenly took a half dose of Ambien and made less sense than usual. Made a better comeback than Giants...
— Tom Brokaw (@tombrokaw) September 6, 2012
TVNewser relates this funny story from Brokaw on Morning Joe, talking about former Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin:
“There was a party at the top of a hotel yesterday,” said Brokaw. “A very sleek, modern hotel, and the glass is not exactly clear in terms of where you step next. So Bob Rubin, former Secretary of the Treasury, stepped confidently into the party room and deeply into the pool.”
Huffington Post makes the point that Brokaw's been working hard during the Democratic National Convention. He has every reason to be exhausted.
Brokaw has been seemingly everywhere during the Democratic National Convention, which is taking place in Charlotte. From frequent early morning appearances on "Morning Joe" to to early evening tapings of "The Daily Show" to late-night chats with Sean Hannity, the 72-year-old has been working a punishing schedule. (Brokaw also moderated a Huffington Post panel on jobs on Wednesday.)
WBTV reporter Astrid Martinez is staking out the hospital, which looks, from the picture she posted, like Carolinas Medical Center. Update: Local station WSOC tweets more from NBC's statement, saying Brokaw "is being evaluated and is in good spirits."
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Update (1:29 p.m. EDT): Brokaw is out of the hospital, TVNewser reports, quoting NBC News president Steve Capus: “After medical evaluation and a round of tests, Tom was pronounced in great health and has been discharged. We’re immensely grateful to the team at Carolinas Medical Center for their excellent care and professionalism.”
