Megyn Kelly ‘Definitely’ Returning to TV After NBC Finalizes Exit Agreement

Megyn Kelly vowed to return to television just hours before NBC finally reached an exit agreement with the former Megyn Kelly Today host.

In an on-the-street interview with a TMZ cameraman in New York City Thursday night, Kelly said viewers will “definitely see me back” on television.

On Friday night, NBC News confirmed to The New York Times that both sides reached an agreement, almost three months after the network fired Kelly for wondering why it was inappropriate for people to wear blackface costumes on Halloween. Two people close to the negotiations said Kelly was paid the rest of her three-year, $69 million contract, equalling about $30 million.

“The parties have resolved their differences, and Megyn Kelly is no longer an employee of NBC,” NBC News said in a statement Friday.

On Oct. 23, Kelly had a group of panelists on Megyn Kelly Today to debate controversial costume choices, with Kelly defending infamous costumes worn by celebrities in the past. At one point, she asked what costumes could be considered racist.

“But what is racist?” Kelly asked her guests. “Because you do get in trouble if you are a white person who puts on blackface on Halloween, or a black person who puts on whiteface for Halloween. Back when I was a kid that was ok, as long as you were dressing up as, like, a character.”

Later that day, Kelly apologized to NBC staff in a memo, which was then criticized by Al Roker during the first hour of Today on Oct. 24. During her hour of the show, Kelly started off with an extended apology and said it was “wrong” of her to defend blackface costumes.

“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,” Kelly told her audience. “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. 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.”

The Oct. 24 episode turned out to be the last time Kelly appeared on NBC. By the end of that week, Kelly’s show was cancelled and since then, the talks for her exit package became contentious.

A source told the Times that Kelly believes the blackface comments were just used as a “pretext” to fire her. Kelly’s show had been in trouble before due to low ratings and her clashes with celebrities. Since she left, the third hour of the Today Show has seen its ratings climb from an average of 2.4 million viewers to 2.9 million.

With Kelly’s exit package finalized, the former Fox News anchor can sign with any network.

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