Craig Melvin will be off TODAY starting July 20, and Taylor Twellman will fill in during the absence. The change comes after an intruder was detained at the Today studios and after Melvin told viewers he was “doing just fine.”
The replacement was announced on the Third Hour on July 15. Melvin co-hosts the main Today with Savannah Guthrie and the Third Hour with Al Roker and Dylan Dreyer, so the schedule shift reaches both parts of the morning lineup.
Studio 1A and July 16
An intruder was detained on July 16 after breaking into the Today studios around 9am. Craig Melvin said, “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.”
Laura Jarrett was filling in for Savannah Guthrie when the incident was addressed on air. She told Melvin, “We want to make sure that you’re safe.” He answered, “Safe and sound,” and she replied, “Safe and sound at all times.”
The man reportedly asked for Al before confronting Craig and yelling racial slurs. He has been charged with hate crime-burglary, hate crime-menacing, hate crime-criminal trespass, and harassment. Read more in
Craig Melvin says Andrew Truelove charged after 30 Rock encounter.
Al Roker wrote on social media ahead of Friday’s show that he and Craig were both okay, saying, “A really heartfelt thank you to all who reached out over the last 24 hours to check in on my brother, @craigmelvinnbc. We are both okay. It’s moments like these that serve to pull us together. You all, like Craig, said ‘You come after one of us, you come after all of us.’ We’ll talk about it this morning on @todayshow.” Melvin also posted, “I’m doing just fine” and said he was looking forward to seeing viewers the next morning.
NBC and TODAY said they are reviewing the incident and their security protocols. The immediate change for viewers is simple: the chair Melvin leaves on July 20 goes to Twellman, while the broader response centers on how an intruder got into an unauthorized area at Studio 1A in the first place.
