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Megyn Kelly Today is officially canceled at NBC. The announcement came Friday morning after Megyn Kelly spent most of the week battling backlash after comments she made about blackface being used for Halloween.
"Megyn Kelly Today is not returning. Next week, the 9 a.m. hour will be hosted by other Today co-anchors," NBC told The Hollywood Reporter in a statement. Kelly's lawyer Brian Friedman issued his own statement saying that while Megyn Kelly Today has been canceled, the anchor is still an employee of NBC News and there are ongoing discussions about her future with the company, including her other show Sunday Night with Megyn Kelly.
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The controversy began on Tuesday when Kelly hosted a panel during the 9 a.m. hour of Today and asked them why it was so controversial to use blackface during Halloween in 2018.
"But, what is racist?" she asked. "Because truly, you do get in trouble if you are a white person who puts on blackface at Halloween or a black person who puts on whiteface for Halloween. Back when I was a kid, that was okay as long as you were dressing up as like a character."
The backlash was imminent and Kelly sent an apology email to NBC employees later that afternoon after she realized how out of touch her remarks were and that she understood blackface is not appropriate at any time of the year, even as part of a costume that celebrates a black character. She made a public apology at the top of her show on Wednesday morning, and hosted another panel to discuss the controversy after the cast of House of Cards dropped out of appearing on the show at the last minute.
The drama continued for Kelly throughout Wednesday as rumors started circulating that she was going to end the show. Her representation at CAA dropped her on Wednesday night and Kelly hired Friedman Thursday morning to help negotiate her exit from the network. NBC aired a pre-recorded episode of Megyn Kelly Today on Thursday and is expected to do the same Friday.