Over the past year, morning-show hosts have gotten used to breaking disappointing, even infuriating news about their own colleagues—and sometimes, the process can get emotional. On the first morning of Matt Lauers absence from the Today show, for instance, his co-anchor Savannah Guthrie and future replacement Hoda Kotb had a candid, extended discussion about their colleague and friend, who was fired over sexual misconduct allegations. But on Friday morning, Guthrie and her Today colleagues did not express a similar sorrow over Megyn Kellys forecasted departure from NBC.
Todays report was pointedly straightforward, without even a whiff of emotion over Kellys exit. Citing “source[s] familiar with the situation,” NBC News reporter Morgan Radford told Guthrie and Craig Melvin that talks about Kellys impending exit—and what the network will do about her reported $69 million contract—have already begun. As Variety notes, the Friday report marks the first time that any NBC News property has made any such acknowledgement about Kellys departure.
Kelly, who hosts the Today shows 9 A.M. hour, ignited controversy on Tuesday during a discussion about Halloween costumes, when she told an all-white panel, “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 O.K., as long as you were dressing up as, like, a character.” Kelly apologized to her colleagues hours later, and to her viewers on-air the next day. But on Thursday, news broke that Megyn Kelly Today is reportedly over, with NBC set to pay out Kellys contract as executives meet Friday to discuss her future at the network more broadly. (Representatives for the network did not respond to V.F.s request for comment at the time.)
Kellys NBC tenure has been unimpressive at best, and a total disaster at worst. Shes feuded with guests and generated consistently low ratings—despite reportedly earning twice what former 9 A.M. hosts Al Roker and Tamron Hall took home, combined, when they were hosting the same hour. Her blackface remarks were shocking, perhaps—but not surprising, given Kellys documented history of inflammatory remarks with regard to race. Though some have speculated that Kelly has been aiming to get back into Fox News good graces after flaming out at NBC, it seems that her former network home has gone on fine without her: a source close to Lachlan Murdoch, C.E.O. of Fox News parent company, “New Fox,” told V.F.s Gabriel Sherman that he is “extremely pleased with the current lineup”—one that does not include Kelly.
Get Vanity Fairs HWD NewsletterSign up for essential industry and award news from Hollywood.Laura BradleyLaura Bradley is a Hollywood writer for VanityFair.com.
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