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Megyn Kelly Ready For Jury Duty ... It"s Been A While Since I"ve Had Time For This!!!
Showing posts with label Megyn. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Megyn. Show all posts
Thursday, January 17, 2019
Megyn Kelly Ready For Jury Duty ... It"s Been A While Since I"ve Had Time For This!!!
Friday, January 11, 2019
Megyn Kelly I"ll Be Back On TV This Year ... And I"m Gettin" a New Dog!!!
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Megyn Kelly I"ll Be Back On TV This Year ... And I"m Gettin" a New Dog!!!
Wednesday, October 31, 2018
Megyn Kelly: I"ll Spill All the Tea on NBC, Unless...
Megyn Kelly is off the air.
But she is not yet out of the building.
Not yet, at least. Not officially, that is.
The embattled reported is no longer appearing on NBC, as we’re sure most of our readers know quite well by now.
She has been relieved of her duties as host of Megyn Kelly Today after anchoring a segment about controversial Halloween costumes…
… which somehow devolved into Kelly wondering why blackface is considered racist.
Despite a written apology and an on-air apology the day after this segment aired, Kelly was essentially fired by NBC not long after her initial comments went public and severe backlash quickly followed.
However, while Kelly has no job to attend to this morning, she is still technically a network employee.
The star and her legal team continue to negotiate a buyout, with many sources indicating that Kelly will be paid about $ 38 million to walk away. This is the approximate amount remaining on her contract.
Now, though, TMZ cites another obstacle on the path to the full dissolution of this partnership.
Insiders tell the website that NBC wants Kelly to sign a confidentiality agreement.
This is standard operating procedure for this sort of situation — and executives are especially afraid of what Kelly might tell the world after she parts ways because she was unafraid to air NBC’s dirty laundry even while working for the company.
Remember: Kelly interviewed one of Matt Lauer’s alleged sexual assault victims last year.
She has also admitted that she knows about all of Lauer’s skeletons, which likely means she also has dirt of some higher-ups who may have covered up for these skeletons over the years.
It makes sense for NBC to try and make sure Kelly cannot spill such damaging tea to the world after she signs a new deal with Fox News or whomever.
Kelly’s lawyer, meanwhile, says his client is happy to sign this sort of nondisclosure agreement.
For an additional $ 10 million.
It’s also worth noting that Kelly wrote a book, “Settle for More,” in which she targeted Fox News Channel; and she has been very critical of that cable network since her departure in 2016.
It’s certainly not beneath her to attempt to damage NBC after she settles her employment with the organization.
The Today Show, for its part, is trying to move on.
On Monday, Al Roker, Hoda Kotb and Craig Melvin greeted viewers during Kelly’s former timeslot, with Kotb opening the hour by saying:
Today, as you know, we are starting a new chapter in the third hour of our show as it evolves.
We want you to know that the entire TODAY family will continue to bring you informative and important stories, just as we always have.
That’s great and all.
But why do we have a feeling that the book on Megyn Kelly and NBC has not yet totally closed?
Megyn Kelly Told NBC She"ll Sign Confidentiality Agreement for $10 Million
Megyn Kelly has told NBC she will not spill whatever beans she has on the network and the people who work there … but at a hefty price. Sources familiar with the negotiations tell TMZ … NBC offered Kelly $ 38 million, which the network says…
Friday, October 26, 2018
Megyn Kelly"s Character in Roger Ailes Movie Will Not Be Rewritten After NBC Firing
Megyn Kelly’s spectacular fall at NBC will NOT affect the movie about Roger Ailes that features her … because we’re told her character as written is “very flawed” and consistent with what people know. Sources connected with the production tell…
Thursday, October 25, 2018
Megyn Kelly Demands $50 Million Settlement from NBC
Megyn Kelly is a day away from settling with NBC, and we’ve just learned something shocking — NBC was paying her $ 25 million a year and the network may end up settling for close to $ 50 MILLION. Sources familiar with the negotiations tell TMZ ……
11 Times Megyn Kelly Was Really Very Racist
You won"t believe this, but Megyn Kelly defended the use of blackface during a controversial Today Show segment.
Wait… what"s that you say?
You totally believe it because Megyn Kelly has a history of saying inappropriate things that could best be described as offensive and worst be described as racist?
That"s right. She was a mainstay on Fox News for years, no matter how hard NBC worked to try and make us forget her employment history.
Below, we run down the scandal that got Kelly kicked off NBC and compare it to other times in which she said some really awful things about African-Americans:
1. What is Racist?
This is the question Kelly actually asked on air, challenging her round table panelists to explain the problem with white people dressing up in blackface for Halloween… apparently unaware of how this type of makeup was used by theater performers in the 19th century to stereotype and mock African-Americans who were being held down in society.
2. Ah, The Good Ole Days…
“Back when I was a kid, that was OK just as long as you were dressing as a character,” Kelly said stupidly, adding: “Isn’t the whole purpose of Halloween to dress up and pretend you’re someone other than yourself? I feel like it’s so absurd. Who comes up with these rules?”
3. She Did At Least Apologize
“I want to begin with two words: I’m sorry,” she said at the top of the next day’s show. “You may have heard that yesterday we had a conversation about political correctness and Halloween costumes. … I defended the idea (of blackface), saying that as long it was respectful and part of a Halloween costume, that it seemed OK. Well, I was wrong, and I am sorry.”
4. Continued the Embattled Anchor:
“This past year has been so painful for many people of colo. 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.”
5. Too Little, Too Late?
Kelly will be terminated by NBC as a result of these remarks, multiple sources have said. And it doesn’t help that she has made similar comments in the past. To wit…
6. SANTA IS WHITE!
During her Fox News days, Kelly got very, very VERY worked up over the idea of black men dressed up as Santa Claus, telling her audience: “For all you kids watching at home, Santa just is white…Just because it makes you feel uncomfortable doesn’t mean it has to change. Jesus was a white man, too.”
Melissa Rivers Reacts to Megyn Kelly"s "Blackface" Apology
Melissa Rivers hopes Megyn Kelly’s mea culpa for her idiotic blackface comment was genuine — but she’s reluctant enough to check in with an African-American friend before weighing in on the apology. We got Melissa Wednesday…
Wednesday, October 24, 2018
Megyn Kelly Gets Roasted by NBC Colleagues for Racist Comments
Megyn Kelly just reminded the world that she doesn"t know how to google the answers to simple questions. Instead, she asks them on live television.
After a massive backlash, Megyn is super sorry about defending blackface and seems to actually understand the topic.
But despite her apology, it looks like she"s still not off the hook — even with her own colleagues at NBC.
News anchors are supposed to report and discuss the news. In general, they really should not be making the news.
But that"s what Megyn did, in the worst way, when she defended blackface Halloween costumes in a discussion with an all-white panel.
She has apologized and explained how the backlash opened her eyes, and NBC"s Today had a group of her own collegues discuss the controersy.
Morgan Radford participated in the discussion along with Al Roker, Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb, and Craig Melvin.
Al Roker says that her internal email is not a sufficient way of saying that she"s sorry.
"The fact is," Roker says. "While she apologized to the staff, she owes a bigger apology to folks of color around the country."
Roker explains how, as a black man, this is very personal to him.
"This is history going back to the 1830s minstrel shows to demean and to denigrate a race," Roker says. "It was not right."
"I am old enough to have lived through Amos ‘n’ Andy, where you had people in blackface playing two black characters, magnifying the worst stereotypes about black men."
He refers to nightmarish caricatures of black men, performed by white men, that were used as weapons to ridicule real black people.
"And that," he explains. "Is what the problem is. That is what the issue is."
Craig Melvin doesn"t mince words when he talks about Megyn"s segment.
He calls her defense of blackface both "stupid" and "indenfensible."
There are people in this world who might understandably not realize the historical implications of blackface.
A millionaire television anchor who can and should read up on any controversial topics that she plans to address on television has no such excuse.
Melvin also points out the fact that Jim Crow laws are named for a blackface minstrel character, a fact we mentioned recently when discussing whiteface.
Despite reports of an alleged feud, Savannah Guthrie clearly felt uneasy about throwing a colleague under the bus.
"It is uncomfortable, obviously," Guthrie says. "Because Megyn is a colleague at NBC News."
But it is that working relationship that made it so vital for NBC to have a panel discuss Megyn"s controversial remarks.
For the public, it"s about education and illumination of an important topic.
For NBC, and we don"t mean to sound cynical, it"s about making it clear that the organization as a whole does not defend blackface.
Roker and Melvin both made excellent points, which you can see and hear in the video that we"ve attached.
But it was Morgan Radford who arguably put the best spin on this situation.
She acknowledged the historical weight of blackface while also presenting Megyn"s words as a "learning moment."
Megyn, Radford says, "really gifted us the opportunity to have this conversation and a public discourse."
"We now have the courage and we have the platform to have conversations like this," Radford notes.
She says that these talks are important "even when they’re uncomfortable because we can see they’re still necessary."
It probably does not help that Megyn Kelly has a history of making wildly controversial remarks about race.
She made these comments primarily while working at Fox News, where white nationalists like Tucker Carlson thrive.
Megyn may be best known for having claimed that Santa Claus, a fictional character based upon a Turkish man, is white. As if she had met him.
She also claimed that Jesus, a Middle Eastern Jewish man, was a white man.
Her suggestion that blackface was acceptable when she was growing up — in the 1970s — dredged all of that back up.
But, as we said, Megyn did apologize, first in an email to colleagues and then to her viewers.
"The history of blackface in our culture is abhorrent; the wounds too deep," Megyn acknowledges.
"I’ve never been a ‘pc’ kind of person," she says. "But I understand that we do need to be more sensitive in this day and age."
In general, labels like politically correct are useless, and hurled around by people who want to dismiss any struggles that are not their own.
It appears that Megyn is learning a little more about the world.
We wish that she, as the highest paid television anchor on the planet despite her ratings, would actively educate herself before getting backlash.
Megyn Kelly Walks Back Idiotic Defense of Blackface
Megyn Kelly would like a mulligan.
On Tuesday morning, the former Fox News host reminded NBC viewers where she used to work by sitting around with a few panelists and making a passionate defense for…
… the use of blackface on Halloween?
Yes.
According to our records, this really was the random and racist hill on which Kelly decided to die for some reason.
During the controversial segment on Tuesday, Kelly said it was perfectly alright when she was growing up for white people to dress up as black characters on October 31, speaking out against the Politically Correct Police these days who frown on such a thing.
She used a really specific example to drive home her point, too.
Back in April, an episode of The Real Housewives of New York featured cast member Luann de Lesseps going out for Halloween as Diana Ross.
She received backlash for the outfit and then she apologized.
Simple and understandable enough, right?
Not to Megyn Kelly!
“But what is racist?” Kelly asked, digging herself a deep grave by expounding as follows:
“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.”
We’re pretty sure that last sentence is demonstrably false; there just wasn’t social media back in the day over which folks could voice their concerns about these types of costumes.
After earning immediate flak from basically everyone with a pulse, Kelly issued an apology on Tuesday evening.
Written as an internal note, a copy of which was provided by a spokesperson for NBC via Twitter, Kelly said the following:
One of the wonderful things about my job is that I get the chance to express and hear a lot of opinions.
Today is one of those days where listening carefully to other points of view, including from friends and colleagues, is leading me to rethink my own views.
Continued Kelly:
When we had the roundtable discussion earlier today about the controversy of making your face look like a different race as part of a Halloween costume, I suggested that this seemed okay if done as part of this holiday where people have the chance to make themselves look like others.
The iconic Diana Ross came up as an example.
To me, I thought, why would it be controversial for someone dressing up as Diana Ross to make herself look like this amazing woman as a way of honoring and respecting her?
I realize now that such behavior is indeed wrong, and I am sorry. The history of blackface in our culture is abhorrent; the wounds too deep.
Yes, exactly.
Kelly prides herself as a journalist and yet somehow didn’t realize previously that blackface — which was used in the late 19th century and early 20th century by white theater performers to mock and stereotype African-Americans – has an offensive history?!?
Come on, Megs.
As Melania Trump might say, try to be be better, okay?
Try not to make it so clear that you want back on Fox News and are happy to show executives there while you still belong.
Go ahead and search social media for the best responses to this scandal, but we’ll go with Top Chef Padma Lakshmi and her Tweet.
This is what she wrote:
“I cannot believe the ignorance on this in 2018. You are on national television.
“You have a responsibility to educate yourself on social issues @megynkelly. This is so damaging.”
Once aganin: Yes, exactly.
Tuesday, October 23, 2018
Megyn Kelly Defends Blackface, Asks: What is Racist?
Oh, crazy, desperate, race-baiting, ignorant Megyn Kelly…
… how we’ve missed you!
The formerly controversial Fox News host moved over to NBC at the outset of 2018, determined to shed her polarizing reputation and settle in as a harmless and happy morning personality.
She wanted to be the next Kelly Ripa, basically.
The thing is, though, there’s already a Kelly Ripa on television — and Kelly quickly learned that you can’t go from ranting and raving about the plight of the rich white person on Fox to casually discussing makeup and paleo recipes on NBC.
Viewers do not forget.
So, with her Today Show ratings dwindling, Kelly has returned to what she does best:
Making really dumb, close-minded and misguided statements.
She sided with Brett Kavanaugh a few weeks ago, for example, arguing that the Supreme Court justice nominee was innocent of sexual misconduct simply because he said so.
And now Kelly is here to wonder why people dressing in blackface is such a big deal.
“I have to give you a fair warning, I’m a little fired up about Halloween costumes this morning,” Kelly said on Tuesday to open a segment.
“I mean, truly, political correctness has gone amok. There are strict rules on what you may and may not wear by someone who thinks is the boss of you.”
“Isn’t the whole purpose of Halloween to dress up and pretend you’re someone other than yourself?” she continued. “I feel like it’s so absurd. Who comes up with these rules?”
What rules, you may be wondering?
Receiving flak for painting one’s face black for a costume, Kelly used as a major example.
“What is racist?” she actually asked.
“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 OK just as long as you were dressing as a character.”
For the record:
Blackface was a form of theatrical make-up used predominantly by non-black performers to represent a caricature of a black person in the 19th century.
It contributed to the spread of racial stereotypes such as the “happy-go-lucky darky on the plantation” or the “dandified coon” and it was very offensive to African-Americans.
It was stereotypical and insulting and a reminder to African-Americans that they were viewed as a lesser other by those who wore it.
This really isn’t complicated.
But Kelly brought up Real Housewives of New York cast member Luann de Lesseps to try and prove her point.
Luann faced backlash in April when she attended a Halloween party dressed as legendary singer Diana Ross.
de Lesseps said soon afterward that she understood the criticism and apologized for it. But Kelly doesn’t comprehend why she had to do so.
“People said that that was racist! And I don’t know, like, I thought, like, ‘Who doesn’t love Diana Ross?"” said Kelly, adding:
“She wants to look like Diana Ross for one day. I don’t know how that got racist on Halloween. It’s not like she’s walking around [wearing blackface] in general.”
Patton Oswalt spoke for most of the free world when he responded to Kelly’s viewpoint as follows:
It seems hard to believe that Kelly herself believes this one.
But we’re pretty sure we know what’s going on here:
She’s auditioning for a return to Fox.
Someone is clearly yearning to be employed by a company that will appreciate her racist views.
Thursday, October 18, 2018
Megyn Kelly: Maybe I"ll Go Back to FOX Where I Was Appreciated!
Despite Megyn Kelly’s desperate attempts to stay relevant by defending Brett Kavanaugh of all people, her ratings are on death’s door.
NBC wants to fire her in order to rid themselves of a $ 23 million headache.
Apparently she’s been confiding in friends that she wants to go crawling back to FOX.
Megyn Kelly is said to be the most highly paid television personality at NBC.
Her catastrophic ratings during Today‘s third hour might not warrant it, but she’s said to be pulling down about $ 23 million per year.
But we keep hearing stories that NBC wants to fire Megyn, and apparently Megyn thinks that she knows who is responsible.
RadarOnline reports that Megyn Kelly blames Savannah Guthrie for the leaks.
And during the 8 hours of live coverage that NBC provided of the Kavanaugh hearings, Megyn and Savannah’s feud reached new intensity.
“As the day went on,” an insider says. “Savannah and Megyn got nastier and nastier.”
The source goes on to say that the two were “making little digs at each other.”
“When the live broadcast ended,” the insider dishes. “The two of them exploded.”
Megyn and Savannah were reportedly “accusing each other of talking over one another and interrupting.”
While Megyn barely treads water in the ratings, Savannah and Hoda Kotb have skyrocketed in popularity in the wake of Lauer’s firing.
Megyn is said to not really be fitting in over at NBC.
Earlier this month, more than two dozen folks from NBC watched Al Roker’s Broadway debut in Waitress.
Care to guess who was reportedly not invited?
Because Megyn was not part of that group outing.
“After the show,” an insider dished. “They all went to Butter restaurant on 45th Street with Al and his wife to celebrate.”
That sounds so wonderful … for the people there.
“One staff member was overheard saying, ‘This family does everything together,’” the source said.
“But,” the insider editorialized. “Obviously that ‘family’ doesn’t include Megyn!”
Ouch!
At this point, there has to be more to it than the fact that Megyn came over from FOX, right?
Maybe there’s some truth to those rumors that Megyn Kelly is a nightmare diva.
She is reportedly confiding in close friends that she is in talks to leave NBC and return to FOX.
“At FOX,” the insider says. “Megyn was a princess.”
Of course — she’s attractive, mean, and she makes claims like “Santa Claus is white” as if Santa is a real life person and not a fictional character inspired by a long-dead Turkish man.
“At NBC she feels isolated and alone,” the source continues.
“She’s not happy,” the insider says. “And something has to give.”
We love roasting Megyn Kelly, but here is a genuine question: has she tried … being nice?
The best way to make friends is to be nice to people. Not just the people whom you want to befriend, but others.
If you’re losing your mind and acting entitled with the people who handle lights and makeup, it’ll get back to Hoda and Savannah.
We know that Megyn is probably still unlearning bad habits, like lying and defending terrible people, that she picked up at FOX.
A lot of this world’s problems could be solved if people were kinder to one another.
Thursday, October 4, 2018
Megyn Kelly on Matt Lauer: I Know ALL His Skeletons!
Megyn Kelly has made it very clear that she thinks Brett Kavanaugh is innocent.
The embattled Supreme Court nominee has said so himself, after all.
But Matt Lauer, however?
Kelly isn’t about to let her fellow journalist off the hook that easily.
Lauer, of course, was dismissed by NBC close to a year ago after multiple accusations of sexual misconduct were made about him.
The firing was swift and shocking, with executives arriving at their decision not long ater learing of one complaint; telling the public they presumed many more were out there; and letting Lauer go from his post as main Today Show anchor after many years on the job as a result.
Just a few months later, Kelly came on board NBC.
She made the move after a polarizing and popular stint at Fox News and now hosts her very own (low-rated) hour of Today.
So these reporters, both controversial for very different reasons, have been like two ships crossing in the daytime television night. Or something to that effect.
Over the past several weeks, there have been a few frightening rumors about Lauer making a return to TV in some fashion.
According to a previous Page Six reports, Lauer told a few women who recently approached him that he has been busy fathering, but told these fans not to “worry” because he’ll “be back” on the small screen soon.
Does this mean he’s had active discussions with networks?
Does it mean he has a story to tell that will exonerate him from all allegations?
Does it mean that Lauer thinks people simply don’t believe he supposed raped someone?
It’s unclear.
When asked during an interview with Us Weekly if she thought Lauer should come back to the public eye after his fall from grace Kelly said she would not really comment.
But she did add the following:
“I know too much that others don’t know.”
Whoa there.
Interesting, right?
There’s already A LOT that the public either knows or assumes, based on various rumors and articles.
For example: Lauer supposedly made employees feel very uncomfortable by pulling out sex toys in front of them.
He also made unwanted advances toward them.
And he also had an affair with an underling named Addie Zinone, who actually sat down awhile back with Kelly.
When asked if she garnered any backlash for having a woman on her show who had slept with the recently-fired face of NBC daytime, Kelly replied:
“All I’m going to say is that I feel very strongly about the #MeToo coverage, the importance of doing it without fear or favor. I didn’t let anyone stop me at Fox, and I’m not going to let anyone stop me at NBC.”
Kelly, who previously had spoken out about harassment she endured while employed by former Fox boss Roger Ailes, went on to explain that she believes some men who commit sexual misconduct could “potentially” have second chances in the public eye.
She explained her side as follows:
“I feel it’s a case-by-case basis. I don’t think we need to see Harvey Weinstein in polite society ever again, but I don’t think that’s true of everyone. I think, for some of these guys, there’s a way forward.
“I happen to believe it starts with a full-throated apology, and not just this paper statement of, ‘I did some things wrong and I’m sorry.’”
Seems like another shot fired at Lauer, right?
This is what he wrote back in late November:
There are no words to express my sorrow and regret for the pain I have caused others by words and actions. To the people I have hurt, I am truly sorry.
As I am writing this I realize the depth of the damage and disappointment I have left behind at home and at NBC.
Some of what is being said about me is untrue or mischaracterized, but there is enough truth in these stories to make me feel embarrassed and ashamed.
I regret that my shame is now shared by the people I cherish dearly.
Repairing the damage will take a lot of time and soul searching and I’m committed to beginning that effort. It is now my full time job.
The last two days have forced me to take a very hard look at my own troubling flaws. It’s been humbling. I am blessed to be surrounded by the people I love.
I thank them for their patience and grace.
Monday, September 24, 2018
Megyn Kelly is Trying Really Hard to Be Relevant Again
Remember when Megyn Kelly introduced herself to NBC viewers by saying she would not discuss politics as the host of Megyn Kelly Today?
Hmmm… perhaps we ought to back up a bit and first ask instead:
Remember Megyn Kelly?!?
The former Fox News anchor made headlines on a near-daily basis back during her time as a host on that network.
She even hosted a debate between Donald Trump and the pathetic politicians he managed to beat out for the Republican Presidential nomination in 2016!
Kelly was a relevant member of the press, that"s our point here.
Then, she left Fox News for NBC… stirred up quite a bit of controversy with her arrival… landed her own hour on The Today Show… and tried to become a Kelly Ripa-like television presence.
Kelly was suddenly all nice and normal and tried to be the woman next door who just has a few kids and a husband at home and who wants to gab about the latest fashion trends, as opposed to the latest political happenings.
Then her ratings tanked.
Then she interview Alex Jones (!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!).
And now she"s irrelevant.
This brings us to Monday morning and Kelly"s return to the political arena, as she hosted a round table discussion with NBC"s Hallie Jackson, PBS" Amy Holmes and Rolling Stone contributing editor Joe Levy.
The topic at hand?
Embattled Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and the multiple accusations of sexual misconduct that have been made against him over the past several days.
"What a mess, that"s a clean version of what I was thinking in my head," Kelly said at the top of the conversation, later making it clear that she"s on Team Kavanaugh and adding she has no idea why Democrats would push for the FBI to investigate the aforementioned allegations.
"[The FBI"s] not a super-secret special police force to investigate super-secret really bad things the nominee may have done. That"s why we have congressional investigators," she said.
"The Republicans actually are investigating the Christine Blasey Ford allegations and the Democrats have refused to do so!
"They"re standing there in protest saying the FBI needs to do it, which doesn"t really help us."
Two quick things here:
- Isn"t the FBI precisely a special type of police force whose mission is to get to the bottom of confusing and complicated cases of national importance?
- The FBI did investigate Anita Hill"s claims in 1991 than then-Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas sexually harassed her.
Later in this segment, Kelly cuts off a panelist and emphasizes:
"He"s saying he didn’t do it. He"s not saying that those allegations against him amount to nothing if he did! He"s saying he didn’t do it!"
Oh, well, that changes everything.
If Kavanaugh is saying he didn"t do something… why is this even a debate?
Watch the heated exchange now!
Thursday, September 6, 2018
Megyn Kelly Says Anonymous New York Times Op-Ed Writer is a Coward
Megyn Kelly, who’s had her own battles with President Trump, is shockingly in his corner … at least when it comes to the anonymous New York Times op-ed author showing his or her face! The “Today” host was leaving NBC Studios in NYC Thursday…
Monday, June 4, 2018
Megyn Kelly vs. Hoda Kotb Feud Heats Up at NBC!
When Megyn Kelly made the move from Fox News to NBC last year, everyone involved seemed well aware that they were in for an awkward transition.
But in all likelihood, no one had any idea of just how messy things would get.
Kelly has struggled to find an audience at her new network, and it seems it’s not just viewers that she’s struggling to connect with.
From the start of her time at NBC, reports of Kelly’s “diva-like” behavior have been circulating non-stop.
Insiders say she’s been alienating her co-workers since day one, and talk of firing Kelly is not uncommon in the NBC boardroom.
Yes, it seems Kelly hasn’t won anyone over in her first year at NBC, but there’s one co-worker who really isn’t buying what Megyn is selling.
In the wake of the Matt Lauer sex scandal, Hoda Kotb has emerged as the closest thing the Today franchise has to a rising star.
She’s taken Lauer’s place as one of the anchor’s of the programming block’s most popular segment and won over innumerable viewers.
And yet she’s still being paid less than a third of Kelly’s yearly salary.
Sources at the network tell In Touch Weekly that Hoda has made no secret of her disdain for Kelly, and the mutual enmity was on full display at the recent NBC Upfronts.
“Hoda and Savannah were standing close to each other and laughed as they exited the stage while Megyn fell back behind them,” said one onlooker at the press event.
“Hoda’s star has risen while Megyn’s has fallen,” the insider adds.
“She’s ready to exercise her newfound power by telling [Megyn] to get with the program. The feud has turned nasty.”
Yes, it seems Kotb’s issues with Kelly’s salary and personality are dwarfed by her concerns about the effect the former Fox News firebrand is having on the Today show brand.
“She’s the ultimate team player,” the source says of Kotb, adding that she’s widely regarded as “one of the kindest, most welcoming, and nonjudgmental people in show business.”
The insider concedes that Kotb is bothered by the fact that she makes a mere $ 7 million to Megyn’s $ 23 million, but her main issue is the fact that Kelly’s ratings have plummeted 11 percent in her first year as part of Today.
“She’s taken the high road publicly,” the insider says of Hoda.
But Kotb’s been at NBC long enough to know that what’s bad for one segment of Today is bad for the entire franchise.
So when asked by her bosses for an honest assessment of Megyn’s performance, Hoda offered exactly that:
“Megyn’s just not cutting it,” the source says bluntly.
“The top brass at NBC wanted to know where they went wrong with Megyn, and they’ve asked certain staffers what they should do,” the insider adds.
“Hoda was honest. She said it’s a likability problem. Megyn’s not relatable.”
Despite what’s being described as a steadily escalating feud, both sides are reportedly keeping things civil in the workplace.
“Hoda and Megyn remain cordial to each other on camera, but they barely speak to each other once they’ve stopped rolling,” said the source.
“And Savannah is squarely on Team Hoda. It’s not looking like the tension will let up anytime soon between these three.”
Sounds like this situation will get uglier before it gets better.
Hey, if ratings continue to be an issue, maybe center a reality show spinoff on the backstage drama at Today?
We know we’d be tuning in!
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