Jeanine Pirro Backs out of Sean Hannity Appearance Due to ‘Serious Family Emergency’

Jeanine Pirro missed her scheduled appearance on Hannity on Friday, extending her two-week absence from Fox News even further.

Pirro has been off the air for two weeks now following some controversial statements about Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar of Minnesota. On Friday, she was meant to dip her toe back in the water of cable news with an appearance on Sean Hannity’s nightly program. However, Pirro called off the guest spot at the last minute for a “serious family emergency.”

“Before I go, I had promoted yesterday and on my radio show today that Judge Jeanine Pirro would be joining us tonight on the program,” Hannity said at the end of Friday night’s show. “She had a really serious family emergency come up, couldn’t be with us. I don’t know the nature of it. We always pray for her.”

Although she missed her Friday interview, Pirro made it on the air for the return of her own show on Saturday night. Justice With Judge Jeanine was back on Fox News on Saturday at 9 p.m., and Pirro did not address her absence or her missed spot on Hannity’s show.

Pirro was taken off the air following her show on March 9, in which she questioned Representative Omar’s commitment to the United States. Pirro pointed to Omar’s religion in what many saw as an Islamaphobic attack, suggesting that Omar adheres to Sharia Law.

“Is her adherence to this Islamic doctrine indicative of her adherence to Sharia law, which is antithetical to the U.S. Constitution?” Pirro asked her viewers rhetorically at the time. The statement did not sit well with some advertisers, causing Fox to enact their brief hiatus for the show.

While Pirro did not address the controversy on Saturday, she had already responded to it in a public statement released at the time.

“I’ve seen a lot of comments about my opening statement from Saturday night’s show and I did not call Rep. Omar un-American,” she said shortly after the March 9 broadcast. “My intention was to ask a question and start a debate, but of course because one is Muslim does not mean you don’t support the Constitution. I invite Rep. Omar to come on my show any time to discuss all of the important issues facing America today.”

Pirro’s return was mocked by Saturday Night Live just hours after her show aired. SNL, too, was on a two-week break, and when it came back it took aim at President Trump and some Republicans‘ response to revelations from the Mueller report.

“I’m judge Jeanine Pirro, and it’s up to you to decide just what my whole deal is,” said Cecily Strong in her over-the-top impression of Pirro. Asked about her return to the air, she said: “This Mueller report completely exonerated the president, and, therefore, everyone on the Trump train. Whew whew!”

“So someone at Fox News said my name into a bathroom mirror three times and here I am,” she continued. “I want to take this opportunity to say hi to my super fans out there: mean, horny men laying on in-home hospital beds and white prison gangs who control the remote on Saturdays. Thank you for watching!”

Justice With Judge Jeanine airs on Saturdays at 9 p.m. ET on Fox News. SNL airs a few hours later at 11:30 p.m. ET on NBC.