KTLA reporter Rachel Menitoff demonstrated remarkable composure during a live broadcast on Wednesday evening when a giant flying cockroach unexpectedly landed on her. The incident occurred while she was reporting on dangerous conditions caused by extreme heat from Sherman Oaks, California.
The Viral Moment
The video, which Menitoff later posted on Instagram, shows the large cockroach landing on her neck before crawling across her body, onto her microphone, and eventually flying off. Despite clearly feeling the insect, Menitoff continued delivering her report without stopping or showing any sign of distress. Text over the video read: “Yes, this is a flying cockroach.” Once the broadcast ended, she quickly brushed off her shoulders and shook as she searched for the bug, while someone off-camera laughed and asked, “How did you not move?”
Professionalism Praised
Menitoff later poked fun at the incident in the Instagram caption, saying the cockroach was “Trying to steal my thunder.” KTLA also posted the clip on X, where colleagues commented on her professionalism. “SURPRISE LANDING,” the local channel captioned the post. “An insect crashed @KTLA reporter @RachelMenitoff’s live shot last night, and we must praise her professionalism. Who else could remain this cool!?” KTLA anchor Eric Spillman remarked, “That’s terrifying, though!”
Viewers on X also shared their amazement. One wrote, “How she didn’t freak out despite being in camera is beyond me.” Another said, “The way I would scream and cuss and yell and throw up and start a fire and run away hysterically crying … Kudos to this woman.” A fellow reporter at Axios simply said: “Give this woman a promotion.”
Not the First Animal Interruption
Animals interrupting reporters is a time-honored tradition in live news. In 2020, CNN reporter Joe Johns fended off a raccoon on the White House lawn, his second such encounter. In 2021, a Moscow correspondent’s live weather report was interrupted by a dog that snatched her microphone. In late 2022, a Kenyan reporter’s segment was disrupted by an affectionate baby elephant. In 2019, a live interview in Greece ended when a sow showed fondness for a male reporter on air.
Menitoff responded to viewers on her Instagram story, writing: “Trust me, it was NOT easy to keep my cool.”
