It looks like it’s official now, that Megyn Kelly is out at NBC. And as the NY Post points out, it only took 48 hours:
Here’s the lowdown from the NY Post:
Megyn Kelly is out at NBC following controversial comments she made about blackface this week, a source told Page Six.
It took just 48 hours for Kelly to be cut from the network.
During a panel discussion on “Megyn Kelly Today” on Tuesday with Jenna Bush Hager, Jacob Soboroff and Melissa Rivers, 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 whiteface for Halloween. Back when I was a kid, that was okay just as long as you were dressing as a character.”
The former Fox News host, 47, apologized to her staff in an email later that day and on Wednesday, she made a public apology on-air.
On Thursday, instead of airing a new episode of “Megyn Kelly Today,” NBC aired a rerun from Aug. 31. Another insider noted, “Not being on air is the kiss of death!”
Before Page Six learned Kelly’s fate, an insider added that there were “lots of balls still in the air.”
“She’s lawyered up, multi-year contract,” the insider added. “It’s complicated. Now is as good of time as any to get rid of her.”
Hollywood agency CAA recently parted ways with Kelly. The company began repping the star in 2015. She’s currently being represented by entertainment lawyer Bryan Freedman.
When she joined NBC in 2017, she was given a $20 million-a-year contract. It seems the network will now pay out the remainder of the contract, totaling $69 million, reports The Daily Mail.
Kelly has a history of making inflammatory comments. In 2013, she went on air declaring that Santa Claus and Jesus were both white men.
The Daily Mail has more and it’s ugly…
‘Megyn Kelly is done. She is not ever coming back,’ said an NBC executive with knowledge of the situation.
‘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.’
The source then added: ‘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.’
It gets worse…
An NBC executive told DailyMail.com that Kelly will not be missed at the network.
‘That hour used to be a ratings hit with Al Roker and Tamron Hall and it was relatively inexpensive to produce,’ said the executive.
‘Now viewers get to witness the greatest example of white privilege on television. She defended blackface. I mean how is this acceptable in any way? She needs to go.’
That same executive was also critical of the decision to hire Kelly, questioning why Andy Lack and Noah Oppenheim had not already gotten rid of the $69 million woman.
‘Andy and Noah need to own this mistake and fire her. There shouldn’t be a place for someone with these views to remain on NBC News,’ said that executive.
‘Andy and Noah both should be held accountable too. They gave her the $69 million and all she has delivered is scandal after scandal. Add production costs and they are responsible for a $100 million dollar s*** show at 9am every morning.’
Apparently Kelly is interesting in going back to Fox News:
A network news insider tells DailyMail.com that there are tentative conversations underway about Kelly returning to Fox News or its new online venture Fox Nation, whose viewers despise what they perceive as ‘political correctness’ and would likely welcome her back with open arms.
I would definitely welcome her back with open arms. But Fox News doesn’t seem interested, at least not for Prime Time, which is what I think they mean by their ‘lineup’:
“We are extremely happy with our entire line-up," a Fox News spokesperson tells me regarding a Daily Mail story that said Megyn Kelly was already in opening talks to return to the network.
— Joe Concha (@JoeConchaTV) October 25, 2018
I think she could end up back on the air at Fox News, but it might be a little while before that happens. And it would probably be daytime television, at least to start.
But hey, she’s got a cool 69 million in the bank over her tenure at NBC. So she doesn’t have to hurry things along.