Days after inciting backlash after defending the use of blackface on her hour of the Today show, Megyn Kelly will reportedly not return to NBC.
Multiple sources confirmed to the Daily Mail that the former Fox News host is out at the network a day after reports said her hour on the Today show was ending.
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“Megyn Kelly is done. She is not ever coming back,” an NBC executive with knowledge of the situation told the Daily Mail. “We are just working out timing of the announcement but mark my word — she is gone and will never be seen on NBC live again.”
Regardless of her employment status, Kelly will reportedly be paid her entire $69 million contract.
“Here’s the worst part — her deal is a non-break deal — so she walks away with all that money. It’s disgusting and heads should roll here because of it,” the source said.
Another source at NBC told the Daily Mail that staff was told Monday’s Megyn Kelly Today show would be live but without Kelly as the host. Another host is reportedly to be determined.
NBC staff reportedly spoke with human resources Wednesday, making it clear they were “disgusted” by Kelly’s comments.
One source said that it seemed inevitable Kelly would be phased out of the industry. Megyn Kelly Today aired a taped re-run Thursday during its 9 a.m. hour of the Today show and plans to do the same on Friday.
The network reportedly told Megyn Kelly Today staffers not to worry about their jobs on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Kelly reportedly hired high-profile attorney Bryan Freedman and was dropped by talent agency CAA.
During Tuesday’s show, Kelly pondered if dressing in blackface on Halloween was actually racist if it’s being done as a costume.
“What is racist?” Kelly said. “You do get in trouble if you are a white person who puts on blackface for Halloween, or a black person who puts on white face for Halloween. Back when I was a kid, that was OK as long as you were dressing up like a character.”
Outcry on social media was inevitable, but even NBC bosses, as well as Kelly’s peers, publicly condemned her words. NBC News chair Andy Lack spoke about the situation during a town hall meeting.
“There is not other way to put this, but I condemn those remarks,” Lack said. “There is no place on our air or in this workplace for them. Very unfortunate.”
Craig Melvin called Kelly’s remarks “indefensible,” as well as “ignorant and racist,” while Al Roker said she “owes a bigger apology to folks of color around the country.”
Kelly apologized twice — once to her co-workers via an internal memo Tuesday afternoon and again through tears at the top of Wednesday’s show, which, according to reports, could be her last.
“I want to begin with two words: I’m sorry,” she said. “You may have heard that yesterday we had a conversation about political correctness and Halloween costumes… I defended the idea [of black face], saying that as long it was respectful and part of a Halloween costume, it seemed okay. Well, I was wrong, and I am sorry.”
“One of the great parts of sitting in this chair each day is getting to discuss different points of view,” she said. “Sometimes I talk, and sometimes I listened, and yesterday I learned. I learned that, given the history of black face being used in awful ways by racists in this country, it is not okay for that to be part of any costume — Halloween or otherwise.”
“I have never been a [politically correct] kind of person, but I do understand the value of being sensitive to our history, particularly on race and ethnicity,” she said.
“This past year has been so painful for many people of color. The country feels so divided and I have no wish to add to that pain and offense,” she declared. “I believe this is a time for more understanding, more love, more sensitivity and honor, and I want to be part of that. Thank you for listening and for helping me listen too.”
