Megyn Kelly NBC Settlement Could Include $10 Million Confidentiality Agreement
In the wake of being let go at NBC about halfway through her contract, Megyn Kelly is happy to stay quiet — for a price.
According to TMZ, the news personality agreed to keep mum about her ill-fated stint at the network for an additional $10 million. NBC offered Kelly a settlement of $38 million, which basically bought out the rest of her original three-year contract and nothing more. However, her attorney wanted $10 million in additional payout for his client to sign the confidentiality agreement.
Given Kelly’s history of telling all about Fox News Channel, which she worked for before going to NBC, the network may need to negotiate with Kelly. She wrote, Settle for More, a book which details her time at Fox.
In the wake of Kelly’s tone-deaf remarks about blackface, which later included an apology, NBC decided to let her go from Megyn Kelly Today, according to an Inquisitr report.
“Megyn Kelly Today is not returning,” NBC said in a statement. “Next week, the 9 a.m. hour will be hosted by other Today co-anchors.” This week the morning show moved forward with a new chapter.
The remarks that put the host in hot water were as follows.
“But what is racist? 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.”
Nearly half of the 2,201 adults questioned in the survey felt NBC's Oct. 26 decision to cancel "Megyn Kelly Today" was "too harsh of a consequence." https://t.co/ZVZ92d2vcz
— USA TODAY (@USATODAY) October 31, 2018
For now, Today show hosts Hoda Kotb, Craig Melvin, and Al Roker are filling in during the show’s third hour until NBC comes up with a different plan for the timeslot. On Monday, anchor Hoda Kotb told viewers, “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.”
While many people appreciated the swiftness with which the network handled the situation, USA Today reported that a recent survey indicated many viewers felt letting Kelly go was too harsh. Among those who responded to the poll, 45 percent felt that canceling the show was too big a punishment. Just 26 percent felt that NBC’s actions were justified.
As for Kelly, she hasn’t spoken publically about being let go from her morning show since the network canceled her show.