NBC Confirms ‘Megyn Kelly Today’ Will Not Return

After a week of controversy, Megyn Kelly Today has officially been canceled. The 9 a.m. hour of the Today show is officially off the airwaves, NBC said Friday.

“Megyn Kelly Today is not returning. Next week, the 9 a.m. hour will be hosted by other ‘Today’ co-anchors,” the peacock network said in a statement.

No details on who or what will replace Kelly’s morning show were immediately available.

It’s unclear if Kelly will leave the network as well, as previous reports have indicated is likely. Before she ignited controversy this week defending the use of blackface, Kelly and NBC News executives had reportedly been in loose talks to find her a new role at the company amid disappointing ratings from Megyn Kelly Today. The new role would involve her in hard news stories rather than morning show fare.

Kelly’s attorney, Bryan Freedman, said that Kelly “remains an employee of NBC News” and that “discussions about next steps are continuing.”

The show’s 40 or so employees will reportedly remain with Today, NBC News reports, but the future of executive producer Jacklyn Levin is unclear, according to a person familiar with the situation but not authorized to speak publicly. The staff was reportedly told on Thursday to expect a few days off.

The controversy began Tuesday when Kelly wondered aloud on-air if dressing in blackface as part of a costume is actually racist, saying that it was “OK” to do when she was growing up as long as it was part of a costume.

Her remarks garnered criticism from social media and outside media personalities as well as those from inside NBC as well.

“The fact is, she owes a bigger apology to folks of color around the country. This is a history, going back to the 1830s [with] minstrel shows. To demean and denigrate a race wasn’t right,” TODAY Show host Al Roker said.

NBC News chairman Andy Lack denounced her comments. “There is no other way to put this, but I condemn those remarks,” he said. “There is no place on our air or in this workplace for them. Very unfortunate.”

The TODAY Show’s lead two hours are co-anchored by Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb, with Craig Melvin recently getting a larger presence on the Monday through Friday program. Kotb and Kathie Lee Gifford co-anchor the fourth hour of the program together. Willie Geist anchors the Sunday broadcast of TODAY and Sheinelle Jones anchors the Saturday broadcast.