A man identified as Andrew Truelove, 41, has been charged with hate crime burglary, menacing, criminal trespass, and harassment after allegedly storming the set of NBC's "Today" show on Thursday. The incident occurred around 8:57 a.m. ET.
Eerie footage captured prior to the incident appears to show Truelove pacing outside the studio's glass walls around 8:10 a.m. while "Today" anchors Craig Melvin and Savannah Guthrie reported on a great white shark. During this segment, the individual outside was seen using a vape and looking at his phone.
Melvin encountered Truelove in a restricted area of 30 Rockefeller Plaza minutes before the 9 a.m. hour, according to authorities. Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Millicent Kastenbaum stated that Truelove is believed to have followed a staff member into the "employees' only" area using their badge. He allegedly asked for Al Roker before confronting Melvin and using a racial slur.
Security pursued Truelove into the building's lobby, where he was detained. He was subsequently arrested.
"Today" show anchor Al Roker and Melvin returned to the air together around 9:15 a.m., neither directly acknowledging the incident at that time. Both Melvin and Roker addressed the event in statements on Friday.
NBC News confirmed that Melvin alerted security to the situation. According to reports, a "Today" show security guard involved in the incident has been fired.
Truelove has a past connection to media attention; he was profiled by the LA Times in 2023 when he was homeless in Los Angeles and attempting to launch a social media company. He is currently charged with burglary as a hate crime, menacing as a hate crime, criminal trespass as a hate crime, and harassment.