NBC officially pulls the plug on 'Megyn Kelly Today'
While Megyn Kelly‘s future with NBC is still being decided, the network announced on Friday that her talk show, which was the third hour of the Today show, has been canceled.
“Megyn Kelly Today is not returning,” an NBC News spokesperson tells Yahoo Entertainment. “Next week, the 9 a.m. hour will be hosted by other Today co-anchors.”
No further details have been provided as to what it will be called or if Kelly will be leaving the network completely, which has been rumored in the days since she controversially defended blackface while talking about Halloween costumes.
Kelly and the high-powered litigator she secured in the wake of the scandal, Bryan Freedman, were meeting with NBC brass on Friday to negotiate an exit package. Kelly inked a three-year deal with the network for $69 million in January 2017, and according to multiple reports she is demanding that her contract be paid out in full — approximately $46 million. NBC confirmed the negotiations were taking place, noting Kelly will possibly be leaving the network, but it seems that latter part is still being hammered out.
NBC News and Megyn Kelly are in talks about the anchor leaving the network. https://t.co/CxZbQSdDyT
— NBC News (@NBCNews) October 26, 2018
On Tuesday’s show, Kelly defended blackface and while she apologized that day to co-workers and on-air the next day, she was publicly criticized by Today personality Al Roker (“She owes a bigger apology to folks of color around the country”) as well as NBC News chief Andy Lack (“I condemn those remarks; there is no place on our air or in this workplace for them”).
Kelly’s show already seemed to be on shaky ground, however. The ratings also weren’t great (below rival Live With Kelly and Ryan) and she was getting negative press coverage. In the wake of the blackface comment, guests started pulling out of the show, including members of the House of Cards cast.
Kelly was wooed away from Fox News, where she hosted the Kelly File, by NBC in January 2017, and tapped to host the 9 a.m. hour of Today. However, before she even started, her massive paychecks were rumored to have irked colleagues, and there was constant gossip about behind-the-scenes drama on her show.
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