Megyn Kelly's former Fox News colleagues show support but would the network take her back?
Channel: Shix TV Show
Date: 2018-10-26

Megyn Kelly's former Fox News colleagues show support but would the network take her back?

Megyn Kelly’s days at NBC may be numbered, and though she’s receiving some support from her former colleagues at Fox News, the network indicated it's unlikely to take back the woman who was once the star of its primetime lineup.

In an Instagram post on Thursday, Fox News meteorologist Janice Dean defended the "Megyn Kelly Today" host and longtime friend against accusations of racism following comments she made Tuesday excusing the use of blackface Halloween costumes.

“My friend @megynkelly is not a racist,” Dean wrote. “Those close to her know her heart. She’s a good person, a wonderful mom, wife, sister, friend and human being. She didn’t deserve this.”

Meanwhile, Geraldo Rivera, a correspondent for Fox News, noted he’s long had a close relationship with Kelly and while he was appalled by her comments, he believes she was unfairly skewered for her misstep.

“You know, Megyn was my colleague, and a dear friend … I was very disappointed when she left Fox News


While Kelly may have the support of some of her former coworkers,
The Hollywood Reporter and NBC News reported on Friday that representatives for Kelly are meeting with executives at NBC on Friday to discuss her future.

Meanwhile, her hour of the “Today” show hangs in the balance. On Thursday and Friday, reruns of “Megyn Kelly Today” aired in place of live episodes.

In January 2017, Kelly exited Fox News after more than a decade and announced she was headed to NBC, where she signed a contract estimated to be worth $20 million per year. After a showcase first interview with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow in which he claimed that Jews, Ukrainians and Tatars (groups oppressed by the Soviet Union and Russia) may have meddled in the 2016 U.S. election instead of his government, she came under fire for a proposed interview with "InfoWars" host Alex Jones.

On Sept. 25 of that year, she debuted in the 9 a.m. hour, traditionally a soft-news time period, thought to be an odd fit for the adversarial former corporate defense attorney who made her name at Fox News discussing politics in prime time. 

During her time on “Today,” Kelly has caused controversy several times. She angered Jane Fonda when she asked the veteran actress to discuss plastic surgery and she offended Debra Messing with her comments that seemed to imply being gay is a choice.
Megyn Kelly and NBC News have begun exit negotiations, signaling that the star anchor’s brief tenure at the network is likely coming to an end, people familiar with the matter said.

Ms. Kelly, host of the hourlong show “Megyn Kelly Today,” which airs weekdays in the 9 a.m. hour, came under fire for remarks this week that were viewed inside and outside the network as racially insensitive.

On the Tuesday edition of Ms. Kelly’s morning show, a discussion about Halloween turned controversial when she suggested putting on a “blackface” as part of a costume isn’t necessarily racist.

“Back when I was a kid that was OK, as long as you were dressing up as, like, a character,” the 47-year-old Ms. Kelly said on the show.

There was an immediate backlash from within NBC News as several prominent black on-air figures, including “Today” personality Al Roker, expressed concern about the remarks. Ms. Kelly issued an apology Tuesday afternoon and again during the opening of Wednesday’s show.

Despite the apologies, NBC said it was keeping Ms. Kelly off the air for the rest of the week. While the network has made no official announcement on the fate of her morning show, people within the network indicated she won’t return.

Tensions between Ms. Kelly and NBC News escalated further Wednesday when NBC News Chairman Andrew Lack criticized Ms. Kelly in front of a “town hall” meeting of staffers. Mr. Lack told staffers her remarks have “no place on our air or in this workplace for them,” according to a person at the meeting. He added that the network “will sort through this with Megyn.”

The relationship between Ms. Kelly and NBC News brass has been rocky for some time. NBC News, a unit of Comcast Corp., wooed Ms. Kelly away from Fox News with a three-year, $69 million deal in 2017. So far, the results have been disappointing. The morning show, which made its debut in September 2017, has a smaller audience than the previous occupant of the period and is much more costly.

A Sunday magazine show featuring Ms. Kelly was also quickly canceled last year.

Ms. Kelly also has pulled no punches in covering stories about NBC News talent that have found themselves caught up in the #MeToo movement including former “Today” anchor Matt Lauer and Tom Brokaw.