Today show footage may show suspect minutes before studio breach
TMZ says NBC footage appears to show Andrew Truelove outside Rockefeller Center shortly before he allegedly entered the Today set.
By Poppy Nakagawa · Culture Writer
2 min read
A man who may be the suspect in the “Today” show studio breach was apparently on camera outside Rockefeller Center about 15 minutes before the alleged intrusion, according to TMZ.
TMZ reported that NBC footage from Thursday morning appears to show Andrew Truelove in the background while Savannah Guthrie and Craig Melvin were on air discussing a 14-foot great white shark that may have been moving toward Cape Cod.
The person in the background is seen outside the studio area around 8:45 a.m., TMZ reported. The outlet said the man appeared to pace back and forth and seemed to be smoking during the live segment.
TMZ said it has not independently confirmed that the person seen in the broadcast is Truelove. The outlet reported that the man on camera appeared to have a similar hairstyle, mustache and clothing to Truelove when he was later filmed in handcuffs.
What police say happened next
About 15 minutes after the broadcast sighting, Truelove allegedly got past security and entered the “Today” studio, according to TMZ.
Law enforcement sources told TMZ that Truelove was initially looking for Al Roker. When that did not happen, those sources said, he allegedly directed his anger toward Melvin, berated him and used a racial slur.
The NYPD arrested Truelove after the incident. TMZ reported that he was booked on charges including hate crime burglary, hate crime menacing, hate crime criminal trespass and harassment.
The report did not include a response from Truelove to the allegations.
Protective orders and security fallout
Melvin addressed the incident on “Today” on Friday morning, saying he and his colleagues were “safe and sound,” according to TMZ.
TMZ also reported that Melvin and Roker were granted protective orders against Truelove after the studio incident.
The security guard who failed to stop Truelove from getting into the studio was later fired, according to TMZ.
TMZ reported that Truelove, 41, has a criminal history in New York, including multiple prior cases. The outlet said that history includes a felony conviction and cases involving trespassing allegations, among other matters.
The incident prompted increased security at “Today,” TMZ reported, after the alleged breach brought an outside person into one of morning television’s most visible studios.
This story draws on original reporting from TMZ.