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Nancy Guthrie update: Why did NBC boost security at ‘Today’ show? New details emerge
NBC has increased security at the ‘Today’ show after Savannah Guthrie's mother Nancy Guthrie's abduction.
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NBC has tightened security at the “Today” show after several frightening incidents. The changes come after the abduction of Savannah Guthrie’s mother, Nancy Guthrie, and a July incident in which an intruder entered the studio and approached Craig Melvin.
New security at 'Today' show
NBC has ramped up security at "Today" after Savannah Guthrie's mother Nancy's abduction, and after an intruder incident involving Craig Melvin and Al Roker. Many NBC staffers are relieved that defenses have been reinforced at the show after multiple frightening security incidents, according to Page Six.
An insider said several new layers of security updates went into effect at 30 Rockefeller Center.
"It's a relief," they said. “It was much-needed and took longer than people would have liked, but it does feel a lot better now.”
Another source said staffers have welcomed the new protocols rather than seeing them as a hassle.
"Staffers are more than willing to oblige with the new protocols," the source said. "It hasn't been seen as a [burden]," as per Page Six.
The intruder incident in July
In July, a man entered the “Today” studio and allegedly approached Craig Melvin while looking for Al Roker and using a racial slur. Page Six identified the man as Andrew Truelove, 41, who was a Virginia native. He reportedly got past security guards just before 9am local time on July 16 and entered the area outside the studio.
Truelove allegedly asked Melvin where he could find Roker before using a racial slur against him. Melvin alerted security, and Truelove was arrested.
NBC released a statement on the incident, which Melvin shared on Instagram: “There was a security incident this morning at the Today show studio. An individual entered an unauthorized area in a vestibule near Studio 1A. The person approached anchor Craig Melvin, who alerted security. The individual was detained and taken into custody by law enforcement without further incident. There was no altercation, and no one was injured.”
Shortly after, Variety revealed new "Today" safety protocols that staff emailed to PR firms, which read, “We wanted to reach out with an important update regarding studio access for Today interviews. In light of the recent events last week, we are implementing stricter security protocols effective immediately."
Also read: Nancy Guthrie update: Will FBI take over the case? AG Todd Blanche sends clear message
At the time, the main change stopped guests from bringing more than two people to the studio, with other "support personnel" required to wait in the green room.
Savannah’s 84-year-old mother, Nancy, was abducted from her home in Tucson, Arizona, on February 1. She remains missing more than seven months later, and no suspects have been named in the case.
