Slurring Reporter Serene Branson: the Real Story Behind the Viral Video
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Los Angeles TV reporter Serene Branson became an internet sensation after she suffered a debilitating health issue that caused her to lose her speech live on the air Sunday night, and now she's talking to ET about the frightening experience.
When Serene attempted to report live from the Grammys on Sunday, her speech became garbled. "I knew the second I opened my mouth to do the live shot that something was not right," the seasoned Emmy-winning reporter for L.A.'s CBS2 tells our Nancy O'Dell, explaining that she suffered blurred vision, a massive headache, nausea and dizziness before she went live on the air that night.
"I think it was probably about the third word in, I knew, this is not right. … It felt like I was watching myself in a movie," Serene tells Nancy.
The incident has been seen by millions on YouTube, and now the reporter, who's spent the past several days resting and undergoing medical testing, can reveal what caused the episode. According to world-renowned medical professionals at UCLA Medical Center, she suffered a complex migraine, the symptoms of which can mirror a stroke.
Serene says she had never before experienced a migraine, but tells Nancy, "[My neurologist] was going through my family history [and migraines] are hereditary, and my mother had several of these in her younger years."
She walks us through the immediate aftermath of her frightening episode, telling Nancy that she was surrounded by a field producer and multiple photographers trying to help. "I got very weak and almost went to collapse, but they just supported me, set me down [and] gave me some water right away," she says, explaining that it took her about 15 minutes to regain her speech fully. She confesses, "To be honest, I started crying right away, because I couldn't express even what had just happened. I didn't know what happened -- I was terrified."
She was examined by paramedics, but opted to go home: "At that point, I just said, 'I wanna go home, I just wanna go home.' ... My head still hurt, I really wasn't sure what was going on. I was confused, scared and a little embarrassed, to be honest."
Serene tells us she didn't watch the YouTube video of the incident until just yesterday, and says that she had no idea it would turn into such a huge story: "I spoke with my friend early Monday morning ... and she had said [that she had seen it] on the news, and I said, 'Gosh, I hope it's not on YouTube!"
But now that she's received a medical diagnosis and she's feeling better, this seasoned professional says it's back to work: "[I'll be back at work] hopefully next week. We have the Oscars to get ready for!"
For more with Serene, tune in to Friday night's ET.
