As seen in a July 14 broadcast shared on X, Menitoff was mid-sentence when what appeared to be a well-fed cockroach boldly strutted into frame across her navy blue jumpsuit. Clearly unbothered by the cameras, the beast then made its grand tour up to her bare décolletage before getting briefly (and horrifyingly) tangled in her hair.
SURPRISE LANDING
An insect crashed @KTLA reporter @RachelMenitoff‘s live shot last night, and we must praise her professionalism. Who else could remain this cool!? pic.twitter.com/a0naM2zxq9— KTLA 5 Morning News (@KTLAMorningNews) July 15, 2026
While most of us would have screamed, sworn, and quit on the spot, Menitoff barely flinched. She coolly carried on discussing the heatwave as the cockroach (apparently satisfied with its television debut) made one final dramatic leap onto her microphone before flying off into the warm LA night.
“I knew it was on me,” Menitoff later recalled. “But I knew if I took notice of it, I wouldn’t be able to continue on with the report. So I said to myself, ‘Just get through this moment and then kind of shake it off.’”
Meanwhile, behind-the-scenes footage revealed that after the cameras cut, Menitoff wasted no time brushing down her clothes and arms
“Yes, this is a flying cockroach,” Menitoff quipped on Instagram, posting the now-viral clip. “Trying to steal my thunder.”
Reportedly, the cockroach is searching for an agent following the star-making turn.