A man was arrested on Thursday morning after breaking onto the set of NBC's Today show at 30 Rockefeller Center in New York City, allegedly lunging at host Craig Melvin and shouting a racial slur.
NYPD officers from the Midtown North Precinct responded to a report of a disorderly person at the studios shortly after 9 a.m. The man managed to slip past security and make his way onto the live set, where he reportedly targeted Melvin, who is Black. Authorities later stated the man had asked staff for Al Roker, the show's longtime Black weatherman, before turning his attention to Melvin.
Incident Details and Police Response
The NYPD confirmed in a statement that at 9:19 a.m., officers were called to 30 Rockefeller Center for a disorderly person. They placed the unidentified individual into custody. No injuries were reported, and the investigation is ongoing. The man was removed from the set, and both Melvin and Roker were back on air as normal just 15 minutes later. Neither host mentioned the incident during the broadcast.
According to a police official cited by CNN, the intruder entered through a secured area. Security at the Today show had been heightened earlier this year after co-host Savannah Guthrie's mother, Nancy Guthrie, was abducted from her Arizona home on 1 February. Guthrie remains missing. On Thursday morning, Guthrie announced she would be stepping away from the show for a few weeks to film a new game show based on the popular Wordle game.
Background on Hosts and Security
Craig Melvin has been an anchor on the Today show since 2018 and was promoted to co-anchor alongside Guthrie in January 2025. The Guardian has contacted the Today show and a representative for Melvin for comment.
