A man was arrested Thursday after allegedly slipping past security at NBC’s Today show studio in New York City, looking for beloved weatherman Al Roker before confronting co-host Craig Melvin and shouting a racial slur at him.
The bizarre and disturbing incident unfolded around 9 a.m. at 30 Rockefeller Plaza, where the man reportedly managed to make his way into the studio area before demanding to see Roker, according to reports.
When he could not find Roker, the man allegedly turned his attention toward Melvin and yelled the N-word at him.
Security quickly intervened, detaining the man before police arrived and took him into custody. No one was injured, and the Today show continued as planned shortly afterward, with Melvin, Roker, and the rest of the team returning to the broadcast about 15 minutes later.
The incident has raised questions about how the man was able to get past security at one of the most recognizable television studios in the country.
The NYPD said officers responded at approximately 9:19 a.m. after receiving a report of “a disorderly person” inside 30 Rockefeller Center.
“Officers responded and placed an unidentified individual into custody. There were no injuries reported. The investigation remains ongoing,” the department said in a statement.
Neither NBC nor representatives for the Today show immediately provided additional details about the incident.
Melvin, 47, has served as a Today show anchor since 2018 and became a co-anchor alongside Savannah Guthrie in 2025 following Hoda Kotb’s departure.
Roker, 71, has been a fixture on morning television for more than five decades. Beyond his longtime role as Today’s weatherman, he has hosted major events including the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and appeared on programs such as Late Night with David Letterman and Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.
The confrontation happened on the same day Guthrie announced she would temporarily step away from Today for several weeks to film a new Wordle-based game show.
Guthrie’s announcement came months after the disappearance of her 84-year-old mother, Nancy Guthrie, who vanished from her home in Tucson, Arizona, on February 1. Savannah previously stepped away from the anchor desk for two months while authorities searched for her mother before returning in April.
Despite the alarming incident inside the studio, the Today team carried on with the live broadcast, with Roker and Melvin returning to their normal roles shortly afterward.
