Celebrity
‘Today’ Staff Rattled After Intruder Breaches Security and Targets Craig Melvin
A man allegedly breached security on the ‘Today’ show set on July 16, lunging at Craig Melvin and yelling a racial slur.
The Today crew is likely still catching their breath after an unsettling incident that happened during the July 16 show. According to Variety, a man managed to get through security and onto the Today set, where he lunged at Craig Melvin.
The incident was not caught on camera during the broadcast, but the man who allegedly tried to attack Melvin has been arrested. TMZ indicates they were told by law enforcement that the suspect was initially looking for Al Roker.
When the man couldn’t find Roker, reports TMZ, he turned his attention to Melvin, who was in a restricted area. The man lunged at Melvin and yelled the N-word slur.
TMZ reports that they were told by law enforcement that the suspect was unarmed, but he was wearing a backpack. His name has not yet been released publicly.
Shortly after the situation played out, Melvin and Roker were on air together for a segment. Neither of them made note of what had happened minutes earlier.
So far, neither Melvin’s nor Roker’s social media pages reference the incident. NBC has released a statement. As The Hollywood Reporter shares, the statement confirmed that someone reached an unauthorized area and approached Melvin. The statement indicated that Melvin alerted security.
In addition, the network noted, “We are reviewing the incident and our security protocols and remain committed to providing a safe and secure environment for everyone who works at and visits our studios.”
The incident rattled the Today show staff, insiders told Page Six. As viewers know, the cast and crew of the daytime series have already been anxious due to the ongoing search for co-host Savannah Guthrie‘s mother, Nancy Guthrie.
Luckily, nobody was injured in the incident. In addition, Page Six noted, the intruder never made it to the film set where most of the Today stars were. He did, however, make it to a staircase inside the studio.
After learning of the unsettling situation, fans expressed their support for the Today crew online.
“After Nancy’s disappearance how could security not protect the crew better. I would think extra measures on all angles would be covered,” one fan noted on Instagram.
On Facebook, another fan commented, “Wow I’m glad Al and Craig are alright. More security is needed.”
Another Facebook user added, “So unacceptable. It could’ve been so much worse. Thank God Craig is ok.”
