A man who slipped past security at NBC’s “Today” show Thursday morning allegedly lunged at host Craig Melvin while yelling a racial slur after following him into a restricted area, law enforcement sources told TMZ.
The intruder initially stormed the studio around 9 AM Eastern Time asking for Al Roker, sources told the outlet.
He got close enough to confront Melvin before staff and security rushed in and detained him.
A man allegedly tried to lunge at “Today” show star Craig Melvin. Nathan Congleton/NBC via Getty Images
Craig Melvin is an anchor on the “Today” show. Roger Wong/INSTARimages
The maniac allegedly asked for Al Roker. Roger Wong/INSTARimages
The incident wasn’t captured on air. Nobody was hurt.
A photo taken inside the studio shows Melvin surrounded by several people in the aftermath.
Craig Melvin with Dylan Dreyer, Jack Antonoff and Laura Jarrett on May 22, 2026. Getty Images
The exact path the man took remains unclear, but staff are demanding answers about how an unauthorized person managed to trail one of the show’s biggest stars off the publicly accessible plaza and get so deep inside the building undetected.