‘Today’ show intruder targets Al Roker, Craig Melvin, charged with burglary, menacing as hate crimes

Al Roker and Craig Melvin were targeted Thursday by a man who snuck into the “Today” show and was ultimately arrested after lunging at the latter and shouting racist slurs.

Andrew Truelove, 41, was charged with burglary and menacing, both as hate crimes, in addition to criminal trespass and harassment, for sneaking into the NBC morning show, where he then swung at Melvin, 47.

The intruder also asked for Al Roker and used the N-word multiple times before he was ultimately apprehended by a New York Police Department officer on a paid detail.

“I thought I would never be able to call a Black celebrity a (N-word),” Truelove said to Melvin, according to a police source.

Law enforcement sources told the outlet that the man snuck past security after entering through a stairwell. Once he was near a backstage dressing room, he failed to find Roker, 71, and proceeded to seek out and lunge at Melvin.

Both veteran correspondents appeared on air about 15 minutes later, wholly composed, without any indication as to what had transpired.

Per TMZ, an image from within the studio shows multiple people crowded around Melvin after the disturbing incident, which occurred around 9 a.m.

In a social media post after the incident, Melvin wrote, “Hey everyone. I’ve heard from so many of you over the last few hours. I’m doing just fine. Thanks for reaching out. I’m looking forward to seeing you tomorrow morning on @todayshow.”

Truelove, who resides in Chinatown, has a criminal record that includes eight arrests in New York City.

According to police sources, Truelove was previously charged in five criminal mischief incidents, plus auto stripping, last July, after which he has been on probation since June 19. On May 13, he was charged with reckless endangerment for being on the northbound M/Q/R subway tracks at 63rd St. and Lexington Ave., delaying a train. In January, he was charged with assault for closing a door on the arm of a woman, 42, at a Bowery shelter, for which she sought treatment at a hospital.

The television studio intrusion comes amid an ongoing investigation into the abduction of “Today” show correspondent Savannah Guthrie’s elderly mother, Nancy.

Though no suspects or motive have been identified in the Guthrie kidnapping, Savannah herself has wondered whether her prominence may have inadvertently put her mother in the way of bad actors.