Rachel Menitoff, a reporter for Los Angeles station KTLA News, was covering dangerous conditions caused by major heat in Sherman Oaks, California, on Wednesday evening, July 16, 2026, when a giant flying cockroach unexpectedly landed on her during the live broadcast.

Menitoff continued delivering her report without interruption or visible discomfort as the insect crawled across her body and microphone before flying off. After the segment ended, she was seen brushing off her shoulders and searching for the bug.

Menitoff later shared the footage on Instagram, which quickly went viral. KTLA anchor Eric Spillman commented on the video, saying, “That’s terrifying, though!” Meanwhile, a fellow reporter at Axios remarked, “Give this woman a promotion.”

This incident follows other notable moments involving reporters and unexpected animal interruptions, such as CNN's Joe Johns fending off a raccoon on the White House lawn in 2020, and a viral segment in Kenya in late 2022 where a baby elephant disrupted a report on environmental impacts.

Sources