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A man on the "Today" show set slipped past security and allegedly lunged at anchor Craig Melvin.The "disorderly person" inside the building at Rockefeller Center was taken into custody around 9 a.m. Thursday, July 16, the New York Police Department confirmed to USA TODAY. The man has not been identified."There was a security incident this morning at the TODAY show studio," a spokesperson for the NBC show said in a statement shared with USA TODAY. "An individual entered an unauthorized area in a vestibule near Studio 1A. The person approached anchor Craig Melvin, who alerted security. The individual was detained and taken into custody by law enforcement without further incident."People and TMZ reported that the suspect searched for weather anchor Al Roker before allegedly confronting Melvin, 47, and yelling a racial slur at him. The hosts did not address the alleged incident on air, and all appeared normal on the broadcast.The incident resulted in "no altercation, and no one was injured," per the show's statement, which added, "TODAY is cooperating fully with law enforcement as they investigate the matter.""NBC and TODAY take the safety and security of our employees, talent, staff and guests extremely seriously," the 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.An investigation into the incident is "remains active and ongoing," and charges are pending, according to the NYPD.Craig Melvin confirms he's 'doing just fine'After the broadcast, Melvin took to social media to reassure fans of his wellbeing."I’ve heard from so many of you over the last few hours. I’m doing just fine. Thanks for reaching out," he wrote in the post. "I’m looking forward to seeing you tomorrow morning on [the 'Today' show]."The incident appears to be rare in live television. In June 2020, amid protests following George Floyd's death, NBC installed a temporary protective wall as a precautionary move, but there were no reported incidents of unauthorized access or damage. However, stage-crashing incidents have been fairly common during live events in recent years.On the same July 16 broadcast, host Savannah Guthrie addressed her status on the morning talk show after several unexplained absences."I'm headed over to shoot Wordle over the next few weeks," Guthrie, who was announced as the host of the new game show in May, said. "We're going to shoot the whole season, and we're super excited. [We] cannot wait for everyone to see it. It'll probably air in the New Year."Guthrie's fellow anchors, including Laura Jarrett and Sheinelle Jones, cohost of "Today with Jenna & Sheinelle," covered for her in recent days alongside Melvin. He attributed Guthrie's absence to "some much-deserved time off."Contributing: Edward Segarra, KiMi Robinson and Liza Esquibias, USA TODAY
