Man arraigned on hate crime charges after TV studio breach

A man was arraigned on hate crime charges Friday, July 17, 2026, after allegedly breaching security at NBC's "Today" show in New York City and shouting a racial slur at co-anchor Craig Melvin. The suspect, identified as 41-year-old Andrew Truelove, faces felony counts of burglary in the third degree as a hate crime and menacing in the third degree as a hate crime. A judge set bail at $10,000.

The incident occurred the previous morning, Thursday, July 16, at approximately 8:57 a.m., at the show's street-level Studio 1A headquarters in Rockefeller Center. According to a statement from NBC News, Truelove entered an unauthorized vestibule area near the studio. He approached Melvin, who then alerted security. Law enforcement responded quickly, detaining Truelove and taking him into custody without any physical altercation or injuries.

Police allege that during the encounter, Truelove shouted a racial epithet at Melvin. Court documents cited by officials state that Truelove told police he "always wanted to call a Black famous person the N-word." Initial reports indicated the intruder was initially looking for weather anchor Al Roker before confronting Melvin. A preliminary search did...