TODAY's Craig Melvin missed the Third Hour on Friday, July 17 after a scary security incident the day before.
While the anchor appeared during the first and second hours of the morning show, he skipped the third, which he usually hosts alongside Al Roker and Dylan Dreyer. His decision to miss the show came after an intruder broke into the studio.
But, a day later, he missed the 3rd Hour.
© NBC"I'm here along with Dylan and of course, Laura Jarrett, we're getting a nice start on the morning," Al said to open the show. "Craig has decided to kinda…" he added as he motioned with his hands as if to say 'get outta here.'
It seems Craig didn't miss the Friday show because of the security incident. The father-of-two confirmed on Wednesday's episode of TODAY that he was taking a well-deserved break, and would be replaced by former soccer star Taylor Twellman.
"The Monday after the [World Cup] final, Taylor Twellman will be here filling in for you!" Al said during Wednesday's broadcast. "Yes!" Craig confirmed, before Al quipped: "Who drew the short straw on that one?"
© Craig Melvin / TODAYFurther, during the first two hours of the TODAY show, Craig didn't mention the security incident.
What happened to Craig Melvin on TODAY?
On Thursday, July 16, a man snuck his way past security at Rockefeller Plaza at around 9 a.m. and managed to get to the studio where the TV hosts film the popular daytime show. He allegedly requested to speak with Al, however, when he wasn't able to locate the meteorologist, he allegedly lunged at Craig and yelled out a racial slur, according to several reports.
Security and staff members detained and arrested the intruder, who was identified as being white and was unarmed.
Craig later broke his silence with a brief Instagram post assuring that he was okay.
"Hey everyone. I've heard from so many of you over the last few hours," he wrote. "I'm doing just fine. Thanks for reaching out. I'm looking forward to seeing you tomorrow morning on @todayshow."
© InstagramThe NYPD shared more details in a statement, explaining that around 9:19 a.m., "it was reported to officers that there was a disorderly person inside 30 Rockefeller Center, within the confines of the Midtown North Precinct. Officers responded and placed an unidentified individual into custody. There were no injuries reported. The investigation remains ongoing."
A security guard has been fired in the wake of the incident, after failing to protect the TODAY team from the intruder. The intruder has since been charged with hate crime (burglary), hate crime (menacing) and hate crime (criminal trespass and harassment), and has a criminal history including three pending cases in New York.
The morning show also shared a statement about the incident, declaring that protecting their staff was their highest priority.
"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 read.
"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."
