Canadian Reporter Who Had A Medical Emergency On-Air Speaks Out Against 'False Theories'

She says she's received an "overwhelming amount of harassment."

Jessica Robb on air.

Jessica Robb on air.

CTV News Edmonton
Creator

A Canadian news reporter that experienced a medical emergency live on-air has spoken out about the harassment she has received after conspiracy theories about what caused the incident began spreading online.

CTV News journalist Jessica Robb was reporting live on Sunday, January 8, in Edmonton when she became unwell, jumbling her words and becoming unsteady on her feet.

Since the report, many online started speculating about the cause of her illness, including conspiracy theories circulating on social media platforms such as Twitter that made links between Robb's health and the COVID-19 vaccine.

A tweet from Robb dating back to April 2022, where she said she was "feeling very lucky" to be triple vaccinated, also spread alongside the clip of her on air.

However, Robb has since released a statement to clear up "false theories" about her medical issue.

"On Sunday night, a very personal and vulnerable moment unfolded as I reported live on air. Since then, it has been shared thousands of times, along with baseless theories about the cause," she said in the statement shared by CTV News Edmonton.

Robb said she's received an "overwhelming amount of harassment and hatred" linked to "false theories" about the reason for the incident.

She added while she will not publicly share her private medical information, there is "no cause for concern" as her understanding of her medical background provides a reasonable explanation of what happened to her.

"I can, however, confirm that the situation was in no way related to the COVID-19 vaccine," she said.

What happened to Jessica Robb?

Jessica Robb was broadcasting live on the 6 p.m. news for CTV Edmonton when she became unwell, with slurred speech and appeared disorientated.

While she continued with the report, she told her colleague in the studio, Nahreman Issa, that she was "not feeling very well right now" before the segment was cut short. As the camera cut, Robb appeared very unsteady on her feet.

Following the report, CTV Edmonton later tweeted that Robb was feeling better and was resting following the incident.

While Robb has not revealed what happened, she said her private medical background provided a "reasonable explanation" for the incident.

  • Creator

    Charlie Hart was a Calgary-based Creator for Narcity Media. Hailing from London, U.K., Charlie moved to Calgary with a passion for learning more about what Canada has to offer. She studied Magazine Journalism at Cardiff University and has over five years of experience for titles including Supply Management, Elle UK and InStyle UK.

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