A man was arrested on Thursday morning after breaking onto the set of NBC's Today show and allegedly hurling a racial slur at host Craig Melvin. The incident occurred at the show's 30 Rockefeller Center studios in New York City.
Security breach at 30 Rockefeller Center
NYPD officers from the Midtown North Precinct responded to a report of a disorderly person shortly after 9 a.m. The man managed to slip past security and make his way onto the set, where he reportedly lunged at Melvin and shouted a racial slur. According to an NYPD statement, at 9:19 a.m., “it was reported to officers that there was a disorderly person inside 30 Rockefeller Center… Officers responded and placed an unidentified individual into custody.” The statement added that no injuries were reported and the investigation is ongoing.
Details of the intrusion
Authorities believe the man sneaked in through a secured area and initially asked staff for Al Roker, the Today show's longtime weatherman who, like Melvin, is Black. When he could not find Roker, he turned his attention to Melvin, according to a police official's statement reported by CNN. Both Roker and Melvin returned to air just 15 minutes after the man was removed, and neither mentioned the incident on air.
Recent security concerns
Earlier this year, NBC stepped up security on the Today show after co-host Savannah Guthrie's mother was abducted, according to two anonymous sources at the network. On Thursday morning, Guthrie announced on air that she would be stepping away from the show for a few weeks to film a new gameshow based on the popular Wordle game. Her mother, Nancy Guthrie, remains missing after being taken from her Arizona home on 1 February. 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 approached the Today show and a representative for Melvin for comment.
