Looks like morning show audiences will be spared any further angst from Megyn Kelly. On Friday, NBC officially canceled her hour on the Today Show, Megyn Kelly Today, and, according to the Hollywood Reporter, isnβt even waiting until her season ends in December.
βMegyn Kelly Today is not returning. Next week, the 9 a.m. hour will be hosted by other Today co-anchors,β a brief statement from the network read. As for the staff of Kellyβs show, which shot in a separate studio from the rest of the Today Show, they will fortunately not become collateral damage, having been told they will keep their jobs.
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No word on who the replacement anchors will be or what execs plan for Kellyβs slot, though one source told Vanity Fair, βI think the easy play is to just go back to Al, Dylan and Sheinelle.β However, her departure from the network isnβt technically final yet, according to her attorney, Bryan Freedman.
βMegyn remains an employee of NBC News and discussions about next steps are continuing,β he said. Undoubtedly, at issue is how Kellyβs three-year, reportedly $69 million contract, initiated in 2017, will be handled. Will NBC feel obligated to honor the remainder of the agreement, or challenge it, based on Kellyβs blackface comments, which may be considered breach of contract?
That remains to be seen, but for those speculating that Kelly will return to former network Fox, where her inflammatory comments were given free rein, donβt bet on it. According to Vanity Fair, a source close to Lachlan Murdoch, C.E.O. of Fox Newsβ parent company βNew Fox,β said Murdoch is βextremely pleased with the current lineup.β
Ouch. Aside from her attorney, Kelly is currently without representation, having been dropped by entertainment agents CAA and unable to return to former agents UTA, who dropped out of talks amidst the controversy. And it looks like sheβs only one buyout away from being out of a jobβthough she likely wonβt need one. However, with the holidays rapidly approaching, should she want to work, I suppose she could always get a mall job as one of white Santaβs elves. ...
Or, we hear Trump is hiring.
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