Update 1:30 p.m. Oct. 25
The Daily Mail is reporting that Megyn Kelly is out at NBC, just 48 hours after the host made remarks in which she defended Halloween costumes that included blackface. Kelly later delivered an apology.
“Megyn Kelly is done. She is not ever coming back,” said an NBC executive with knowledge of the situation, according to The Daily Mail. “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 executive then told The Daily Mail that Kelly’s deal is a non-break deal, so she could walk away with $69 million dollars.
8:50 a.m. Oct. 25
Megyn Kelly is expected to end her 9 a.m. Today show hour by the end of the season, reports The Hollywood Reporter. Kelly has met with network executives over the recent weeks to discuss the future of the show, and explained that she would rather cover more news and politics. THR writes that it is unclear what NBC News would put in place of Kelly’s show, but the discussion appear to be an acknowledgment that the experiment is not working.
On her show, Kelly has grappled with hard news-topics, such as #MeToo allegations against a series of prominent men. But she seemed to struggle with the lighter requirements of the job. THR writes that Kelly met with NBC News chairman Andy Lack before the controversy over her recent blackface comments erupted, but those comments only exacerbated the situation.
Kelly has been under tremendous scrutiny since leaving Fox News for NBC in early 2017 for a salary reportedly worth close to $20 million annually. Her leaving came in the wake of widespread harassment allegations that forced the late Fox News chief Roger Ailes to resign.
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