Overview
- During a late-evening KTLA live report in Sherman Oaks on Tuesday, July 14, a flying cockroach landed on reporter Rachel Menitoff, crawled across her blouse and microphone, then flew away while she completed the segment.
- Menitoff posted the unedited clip to Instagram and wrote in her stories that “Trust me, it was NOT easy to keep my cool,” then brushed off her shoulders on camera after the shot ended.
- KTLA colleagues publicly praised her professionalism on the following morning’s broadcast, saying she stayed composed despite feeling the insect on her body.
- Coverage and social posts linked the incident to the Valley heat and bright camera lights, which experts say can increase cockroach activity and make some species take flight in warm, humid conditions.
- The short, unscripted clip spread rapidly on platforms such as Instagram and X, drawing widespread admiration alongside politicized criticism about local conditions and city management.