craig melvin speaks out after today show intruder arrested on hate crime charges
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craig melvin attends the u.s. premiere of disclosure day presented by universal pictures and amblin entertainment on june 8, 2026, in new york city.
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craig melvin is keeping the focus where it belongs after a scary security breach at the today show — on the fact that no one got hurt.
the 47-year-old co-anchor briefly addressed viewers during friday’s broadcast, saying he wanted to acknowledge what happened the day before after an intruder made his way into an unauthorized area at studio 1a, reports us weekly.
“you may have heard that, unfortunately, an intruder made his way into an unauthorized area here at studio 1a,” melvin said while sitting alongside carson daly, laura jarrett and al roker. he added that the man was quickly arrested and that nbc is fully cooperating with the nypd’s investigation. “we are just very happy that everyone is safe.”
the incident could have been more serious
the suspect was later identified as 41-year-old andrew truelove, who was arrested after entering the new york studio thursday morning, according to us weekly.
variety reported that truelove allegedly lunged at melvin and shouted the n-word at him. the confrontation happened around 9 a.m. et and was never seen on the live broadcast. tmz, citing law enforcement sources, first reported the incident and said the man had been looking for longtime today weatherman roker. when he couldn’t find roker, he allegedly confronted melvin instead.
intruder arraigned on hate crime charges
by friday, the case had escalated. nbc news reported that truelove was arraigned on hate crime charges. according to a complaint filed by the manhattan district attorney’s office, he faces one count of burglary in the third degree as a hate crime and one count of menacing in the third degree as a hate crime.
nbc news also released a statement confirming that the man entered an unauthorized vestibule near studio 1a before approaching melvin. the anchor alerted security, and the suspect was detained by law enforcement without further incident. the network said there was no physical altercation and no injuries.
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nbc added that it takes the safety of its employees, talent, staff and guests “extremely seriously” and is reviewing “the incident and our security protocols and remains committed to providing a safe and secure environment for everyone who works at and visits our studios.”
behind-the-scenes consequences
fox news reported that a security guard was fired after the intruder managed to get inside. truelove also faces several additional charges, including criminal trespass, harassment and other offences.
melvin has become one of the network’s most recognizable faces since joining today as a co-anchor in 2018. in january 2025, he succeeded hoda kotb as savannah guthrie‘s co-anchor during the program’s first two hours, according to variety. he also co-hosts the show’s third hour and serves as a host on syndicated dateline nbc broadcasts.
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