Megyn Kelly's reported payout has people furious: '$69 million for thinking blackface is fine'
Megyn Kelly’s morning show will reportedly come to an end very soon, but it seems its namesake won’t be walking away empty-handed — a detail that didn’t go unnoticed by her critics.
Kelly came under fire this week for defending the use of blackface during a panel discussion on Megyn Kelly Today, and issued an on-air apology after NBC colleague and Today host Al Roker said she owed people of color an explanation.
Kelly apparently will neither return to her 9 a.m. show nor take on a different role at NBC. “It’s clear she will not be returning to the network,” a person “with direct knowledge of the matter” told NPR.
NBC wants her gone, and talks were already underway about removing Megyn Kelly Today off from the air before this latest scandal, according to CNN. Her three-year contract is worth $69 million, and it looks as if Kelly will get a full payout. People on Twitter said she’s basically making millions for being “incompetent” and having “garbage commentary.”
I'm feeling sad because I'll never be incompetent and unscrupulous enough to get an 8-figure severance package.
— Maris Kreizman (@mariskreizman) October 25, 2018
When my friends get laid off, they get three weeks of severance and a few retweets begging editors to hire them.
Anyway, congrats to Megyn Kelly for getting $69 million for thinking blackface is fine
— Zach Schonfeld (@zzzzaaaacccchhh) October 25, 2018
Megyn Kelly got $69 million for shitty ratings and garbage commentary. It’s no “$90 million for sexual misconduct” but we’ve come a long way, ladies! https://t.co/o14zbNKxIX
— shauna (@goldengateblond) October 26, 2018
Imagine how much the people inside NBC must have disliked Megyn Kelly in order to pay her a cool $69 million just to go away.
— Jeff B. (@EsotericCD) October 25, 2018
People are mad that Megyn Kelly gets to walk away from NBC with $69 million, but this is Trump’s America and they’re not realizing that after taxes she’ll only see $68.5 million of it
— I'm Gary (@noyokono) October 25, 2018
I too will accept $69 million to go away. #MegynKelly
— John Warner (@biblioracle) October 25, 2018
Like male media moguls who have been paid millions to step down amid sexual harassment allegations, Kelly won’t suffer financially. And while many can’t even fathom getting a $69 million severance package, Kelly’s critics also point out that NBC should have seen this coming.
“It is partially the fault of the people who hired her, because Megyn’s record, how she feels about things, she says she’s not PC,” CNN’s Don Lemon said Thursday night. “It’s there. All you have to do is do a Google search. They knew exactly what they were getting when they hired Megyn Kelly.”
NBC hired Megyn Kelly after she declared that Santa is white and did countless racists segments the New Black Panther Party, so forgive me for thinking this has more to do with her show being awful. https://t.co/6i4rB8nvYo
— Tommy Vietor (@TVietor08) October 25, 2018
After less than two years at NBC, Kelly’s next career move is up in the air.
Read more from Yahoo Entertainment:
It’s Megyn Kelly NOT Megan Kelly. Here’s why the NBC host spells her name differently.
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