Megyn Kelly will reportedly not appear on the Today show on Thursday or Friday amid a boycott from guests over the host’s controversial remarks about blackface this week.
AS previously reported by Inquisitr , there had been rumors that Kelly could eventually be on the way out after the controversial remarks, but a report from CNN indicated that her departure may actually be immediate. She is not expected to appear on Thursday’s program and could be out Friday as well after guests put pressure on the show.
The cast of the Netflix show House of Cards was set to appear on the show, but they reportedly pulled out of the appearance after Kelly’s remarks defending blackface as a Halloween costume. As the Daily Mail noted, there were signs that Megyn Kelly had already fallen out of favor with the network, as NBC chairman Andy Lack personally condemned her comments.
“There is no place on our air or in this workplace for them,” Lack said on Wednesday. “As we sort through this with Megyn, let there be no doubt that this is a workplace in which you need to be proud and in which we respect each other in all the ways we know is foundational to who we are.”
Kelly was also dropped by her talent agency in the wake of the comments.
Exclusive: @MegynKelly dropped by CAA https://t.co/JDLihC6OzB pic.twitter.com/QVvKsFF00Z
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) October 25, 2018
It was not clear who would replace Megyn Kelly for the remainder of the week on the Today show or how the show might address the controversy, but it appears that NBC is working quickly to lessen any potential backlash to her remarks. The show had already faced considerable controversy during her first few weeks in the co-anchor chair, with a series of bumbled interviews and on-air gaffes and reports that it became difficult to attract guests after controversial interviews, per another Inquisitr report.
Just a few days after she joined the show in 2017, the New York Post reported about an internal poll showing that Megyn Kelly registered a “dislike” score of 45 among viewers. That was seen as an extraordinarily high number — Matt Lauer only scored a 22 amid rumors that he had Ann Curry fired from the show, for example.
While the reports indicate that Megyn Kelly will be off the air for at least the remainder of the week, it is not clear if she could return to the Today show at some point this year or if the departure marks the permanent end of her tenure.
