A man allegedly stormed the set of the Today show Thursday morning, lunged at anchor Craig Melvin, and shouted a racist slur after making his way into a restricted area at NBC’s Rockefeller Center studios.
The frightening security breach unfolded around 9 a.m. while the Today show was off the air, according to TMZ.
The suspect was taken into custody, an NYPD spokesperson confirmed. Police said officers responded to a report of “a disorderly person inside 30 Rockefeller Center” at about 9:19 a.m. before arresting the man.
Melvin later returned to the broadcast alongside his co-hosts and did not address the incident on air.
Law enforcement sources told TMZ the suspect entered the studio through 30 Rockefeller Plaza and made it backstage despite the building’s security measures.
Once inside the restricted area, the man reportedly asked for Al Roker. When he was told Roker was unavailable, he suddenly moved toward Melvin while allegedly shouting the n-word, according to the outlet.
A photo obtained by TMZ appears to show Melvin surrounded by staff members immediately after the confrontation.
NBC News did not immediately comment. The NYPD said the investigation remains ongoing.
The incident has reportedly sparked frustration behind the scenes at the Today show, with staff demanding to know how the suspect was able to get so close to one of the program’s anchors.
Law enforcement sources have not explained how the man gained access to the backstage area.
Melvin, 47, became a permanent Today show anchor in early 2025 after replacing Hoda Kotb, further raising his profile at the network.
Roker, 71, has been one of the morning show’s most recognizable personalities since joining the program in 1996.
In a separate development Thursday, fellow Today show host Savannah Guthrie announced she will be away from the program for several weeks to host a television adaptation of the New York Times word game “Wordle.”
Guthrie, 54, also stepped away from the show earlier this year after the abduction of her 84-year-old mother, Nancy Guthrie.
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