Craig Melvin's Uncomfortable Encounter with Baby Dinosaur Dolores on Today Show

Published: June 25, 2025

Craig Melvin, the Today co-host, had an awkward exchange with a baby dinosaur named Dolores on the Today show. Scarlett Johansson brought Dolores as a guest to promote her upcoming film, Jurassic World: Rebirth.

Melvin was visibly alarmed when a handler arrived carrying the animatronic baby dinosaur, asking "What is that thing?" Johansson introduced Dolores, encouraging Melvin to pet her, but he declined, saying "No, I'm good."

The exchange took an even more awkward turn when weatherman Al Roker and Johansson encouraged Melvin to kiss the tiny creature. Melvin warned the handler, "Now, don't turn this into a meme. Just be gentle."

However, Melvin managed to give a meme-worthy performance without any help from Dolores or her handler. He awkwardly moved his head around, trying to find the right angle for his prehistoric peck, hovering above Dolores and to either side.

Finally, he planted an extremely hesitant kiss on the top of Dolores' head, before returning to his seat. Johansson asked, "Isn't she sweet?" informing Melvin that Dolores is "a real morning person."

Johansson shared her excitement about joining the Jurassic franchise, saying, "It was a childhood dream of mine to be in this movie. I've been trying to get in the Jurassic universe for three decades, and it turns out if you harass Frank Marshall enough, you could get a job. That's the message."

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