NEW YORK — In response to a troubling incident involving “Today” show co-host Craig Melvin, security measures are being heightened on the set. This decision follows an alarming episode where an intruder accosted Melvin in a vestibule, using a racial slur and consequently being arrested on hate crime charges, a recent report reveals.
“We are reaching out with crucial information regarding studio access for ‘Today’ interviews,” reads an excerpt from an email that show staff has distributed to Hollywood PR firms, initially published by Variety. “Following recent developments, we are enforcing stricter security protocols immediately.”
The most significant change being implemented is a restriction on the number of people accompanying guests. Going forward, only two individuals such as stylists, spokespeople, social media aides, or other necessary personnel will be allowed alongside each guest, according to the report.
A man resembling the alleged attacker of “Today” co-host Craig Melvin can be seen in the show’s background on the morning of July 16, 2026, when the incident took place at Rockefeller Center in New York. (‘Today’/NBC)
“We leave the decision to you regarding which two individuals should accompany you, but there will be no exceptions or additional personnel allowed in the studio during the interviews,” the communiqué stated. Any additional staff members will need to stay in the green room, away from the studio itself.
The report comes a week after Andrew Truelove, a 41-year-old Virginia native, allegedly snuck in behind someone going through a security gate leading into a restricted area of the NBC studio at Rockefeller Center. He was allegedly hunting for Al Roker and found Melvin instead — then allegedly screamed a racial slur at him just before 9 a.m., according to city police.
No one was physically hurt, the show said in a statement, but the security lapse reportedly cost one guard his job.
Andrew Truelove was arrested after allegedly entering NBC’s Rockefeller Center studios during a live broadcast of the Today show and shouting racist slurs at co-host Craig Melvin. Authorities initially said he was looking for Al Roker. Security personnel quickly intervened and police took him into custody. (Kevin C. Downs/Redux)
“NBC and ‘Today’ take the safety and security of our employees, talent, staff and guests extremely seriously,” the show’s statement continued. “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.”
“Today” show clips from that morning show Truelove loitered outside the ground-floor studio’s window for at least a half-hour, appearing in multiple shots between 8:03 .m. and 8:34, when actress Anne Hathaway was on set to discuss her role in the latest adaption of “The Odyssey.”
The incident comes just six months after another “Today” co-host’s mother was the victim in a home invasion abduction from her house in Tucson. Savannah Guthrie’s mother Nancy remains unaccounted for, and no suspects have been publicly identified.
Craig Melvin at the live performance of Megan Moroney on the Today Plaza as part of the Citi Concert Series on NBC’s Today Show on July 10, 2026 in New York City. (Dinara Khairova/Sipa USA)
Truelove, the man accused of hate crime burglary and menacing in the Melvin attack, had felony convictions in his home state and more than a dozen pending charges in New York before the incident. He is currently being held at a New York City jail on $10,000 bail.
Truelove pleaded not guilty at his arraignment last week and his lawyers waived an appearance at a follow-up hearing Wednesday. He’s due back in court on Aug. 5.
In October 2007, Truelove was accused of trying to abduct an 8-year-old from a school in Norfolk, Virginia. He was convicted at trial and sentenced to 10 years in prison, of which six were suspended, followed by 10 years on probation, court records show.
A psychiatrist testified he had symptoms of bipolar disorder and had stopped taking medications before the incident because they made him gain weight, according to The Virginian-Pilot.
Other charges in Virginia included trespassing, making bomb threats, destruction of property and repeated probation violations.
In 2014, he was arrested on charges of stealing signs from memorials dedicated to the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting victims.
And in 2023, after getting off of probation, he left Virginia for Southern California, where he was profiled in the Los Angeles Times in a lengthy story on his battle with homelessness.