‘Today’ Show Intruder Arrested After Allegedly Lunging at Craig Melvin and Yelling Racial Slur

A Rockefeller Center intruder was arrested today after he lunged at Today show host Craig Melvin inside the show’s headquarters.

via: Variety

In a frightening moment Thursday morning, a man broke through security at the “Today” show set at Rockefeller Center and was arrested after he lunged at Craig Melvin and shouted the N-word at the co-anchor, sources familiar with the situation confirmed.

The incident happened at around 9 a.m. ET and was not captured on the “Today” broadcast. It was first reported by TMZ. Citing law enforcement sources, the outlet said the intruder was trying to locate longtime “Today” weatherman and personality Al Roker. When he couldn’t find Roker, the man confronted Melvin — lunging at him while yelling the N-word. The man was arrested and nobody was physically injured.

NBC News did not immediately provide comment on the incident.

Melvin was named a co-anchor of “Today” in 2018 and in January 2025 replaced Hoda Kotb as Savannah Guthrie’s co-anchor in the show’s first two hours. He also serves as a co-host of the third hour of “Today” and a host of syndicated “Dateline NBC” broadcasts. Melvin has worked with and for NBC for years. In 2008, Melvin joined WRC, NBC’s Washington, D.C., station, where he started anchoring weekend newscasts. He joined MSNBC in 2011.

Separately, Guthrie announced on Thursday’s “Today” telecast that she will be stepping away from the show for several weeks to film the new Wordle game show she is hosting. “I’m headed over to shoot ‘Wordle’ over the next few weeks,” Guthrie told viewers. “We’re going to shoot the whole season, and we’re super excited. Cannot wait for everyone to see it.”

Announced in May, NBC greenlit the Guthrie-hosted “Wordle” show, set to premiere in 2027. It’s being produced by Jimmy Fallon and the New York Times, which owns and operates the game after acquiring it in 2022.