Today Show Tightens Studio Access Rules After On‑Set Intruder Incident

Today has introduced stricter security protocols following an incident in which co‑host Craig Melvin was confronted on‑set by an intruder.

In an email to publicists sent Thursday, the show’s producers announced an immediate cap on the number of people a studio guest can bring. Effective right away, each guest may bring only two individuals into the studio.

“Moving forward, there will be a maximum of two (2) people in the studio per guest. This includes anyone accompanying the guest – PR representatives, hair/makeup, social media, photographers, stylists, studio representatives, or any other support personnel,” the producers wrote (via Variety). “We’ll defer to you on who those two individuals should be, but there will be no exceptions or additional personnel permitted in the studio during the interview.”

The new limit follows a week‑old incident when a man later identified as Andrew Truelove allegedly slipped past a security guard at Studio 1A and approached the co‑hosts looking for Today’s Al Roker, who was not on camera. Truelove instead confronted Craig Melvin and hurled a racial slur at him before being detained. Authorities arrested him on charges including hate crime, burglary, menacing, criminal trespass, and harassment. He has a criminal history and reported mental health issues.

Melvin addressed the audience the next day, saying, “You may have heard that unfortunately an intruder made his way into an unauthorized area here at Studio 1A. Thankfully he was apprehended quickly, he was placed under arrest, we are cooperating fully with NYPD as they investigate the matter, and we are just very happy that everyone is safe.”

According to Variety, an NBC security guard was reportedly terminated following the episode. “We understand this is a change from how we’ve operated in the past, and we appreciate your flexibility as we implement these new measures,” the producers added in their email. “Anyone else accompanying the guest is more than welcome to wait in the green room during the interview – though we do encourage only bringing essential team members to the show in general moving forward.”

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